Lewis Hamilton's arrival was amongst the key factors in Charles Leclerc extending his Ferrari contract - Reports

The 2024 Formula 1 season has not even begun, but news about Lewis Hamilton joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025 has taken over the F1 world. Hamilton is all set to depart from Mercedes after the 2024 season and an 11-year-long relationship with the team.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be teammates from 2025, and many fans think that they will be a power pairing. However, according to Italian journalist Carlo Vanzini, Leclerc reportedly knew that Hamilton would be signing on with the team before the Monegasque driver penned his contract extension.

According to Vanzini, Hamilton's signing was one of the main reasons behind Leclerc signing a new long-term deal with the Prancing Horse beyond 2024. It is also reported that Carlos Sainz knew that Hamilton would be replacing him, and hence there was a stall in his contract negotiations.

A tweet from @fiagirly on X read:

"Carlo Vanzini told SkySportsF1 that Charles Leclerc knew of Lewis’ 2025 arrival before he signed his new long-term contract extension. Carlos Sainz was also aware that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him in 2025; for a couple of weeks now."

Needless to say, this switch comes as a big shock to the entire Formula 1 world. While leaving Mercedes would have been one of the hardest decisions for Hamilton, he said that he is excited to start a new chapter.

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Lewis Hamilton explains departure from Mercedes, calls it the 'hardest decision ever'

Seven-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025 and he would definitely hope to win a constructors championship with them. Speaking about departure from the Silver Arrows, he said, via ESPN:

The time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember."

Scuderia Ferrari made the announcement official, explaining that Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract with the team starting 2025. While the 39-year-old Brit has been an integral part of the Mercedes team, his desire to drive for Ferrari will be coming true in the future.