23 February 2024 , 18:56
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Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has opened up on how his memories of watching Michael Schumacher drive for Ferrari convinced him to join the Italian team.
Hamilton signed a new contract with current team Mercedes midway through last season, but won't see it out. He made the surprise decision to agree terms with Ferrari at the start of February, meaning the current season will be his last as a Mercedes driver.
When Hamilton won his seventh drivers' championship, it brought him level with Schumacher. The German remains a legend of the sport, with five of his own seven titles coming in Ferrari red.
After finishing a distant third in the overall standings last term, 39-year-old Hamilton is running out of time to break Red Bull's dominance and win an eighth title. However, as he has explained ahead of the new season, the Schumacher connection helped him make a big decision for the twilight of his career.
“For every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up and you see the driver in the red car and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by the red," Hamilton told reporters ahead of the 2024 season.
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“You go to the Italian GP, and you see a sea of red Ferrari fans, and you can only stand in awe of that. It's a team that's not had like huge success, really, since mostly from Michael's days, but since 2007.
“I saw it as a huge challenge. Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play in [video game] GP2 as Michael in that car. It definitely is a dream, and I'm really, really excited about it.”
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Lewis Hamilton has one more season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari (AFP via Getty Images)The 2024 season gets underway on March 2, with the first grand prix taking place in Bahrain. Hamilton finished fifth in the 2023 opener in Bahrain, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez coming home in a one-two for Red Bull.
In an Instagram post on February 3, Hamilton explained his excitement at the "new challenge" of his Ferrari switch. However, he insisted he wasn't looking beyond 2024 just yet, with a final season as a Mercedes driver giving him an opportunity to pick up more race wins after a barren 2023.
"My focus is on the upcoming season and getting back out on track with Mercedes," he wrote. "I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focussed than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100% committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high."