26 February 2024 , 01:00
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Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he did not tell his parents about his shock move to Ferrari until it was officially announced.
The 39-year-old is set to link up with the Italian constructors ahead of the 2025 F1 campaign. The move is set to bring to an end a hugely successful partnership with Mercedes.
Hamilton’s switch sent shockwaves through F1 and even his family weren’t given a hint until the day of the official announcement. Speaking to the BBC's F1: Back at Base podcast ahead of the first race of the upcoming campaign in Bahrain, Hamilton said: "It [the decision] happened very fast.
“The opportunity just popped up and I was like ‘OK I’ve got to think for a second’ and I didn’t have a lot of time to think, I just had to go with my gut feeling and I decided to take the opportunity.”
He added: “I didn’t speak to anybody, I didn’t tell my parents until the day of it being announced, so no one knew and I really wanted to do it for myself and that’s ultimately...I had to find out what was best for me.”
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Despite considering a switch to Ferrari to be in his best interests, Hamilton has suggested that he would remain a supporter of Mercedes for the rest of his racing career. He said: “It was the hardest decision.
“When I left McLaren it was a very hard decision also because it was like my family, you feel such a part of the family and obviously, I’ve been such a big part of Mercedes, and it’s been such a huge part of my life and we’ve achieved so much together.
Lewis Hamilton did not tell his family about his move to Ferrari until late (Getty Images)Will Lewis Hamilton be a success at Ferrari? Share your thoughts in the comments below
“The thing is I will always be a Mercedes fan and we’ll always have this incredible history together, even now. After all these years I genuinely always check where McLaren are and I’m always supporting them and that will always be the case for me here also.”
Hamilton will now be aiming to end Ferrari’s long wait for an F1 championship. The 16-time winners have not claimed the title since 2008, while a Ferrari driver has not claimed the Drivers’ Championship since Kimi Raikkonen’s success the year prior.
Ex-Ferrari star Rene Arnoux does not believe Hamilton will be celebrating an eighth personal success with the Italian side. Speaking earlier this month, he said: "All drivers, without exception, want to go to Ferrari. I had that too.
“Hamilton is a great champion, he has already won seven World Championships, but he wants to end his career in the red. The problem is that he does arrive there at the age of 40, and in sport, age affects results. A lot of young people are strong. I don't think you can win a world championship at the age of 40."
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