The 39-year-old most recently held talks with Ferrari last year, after previous links during his time at Mercedes, but team principal Frederic Vasseur claimed the Italian outfit never offered him a contract.

Hamilton told ESPN in May 2023: “I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about ending my career anywhere else. I started at McLaren, I’d like to think I’ll always be a part of the McLaren family, I started there when I was 13 years old, so I thought about what it would look like if I was at McLaren one day.

“I thought about and watched the Ferrari drivers on the screens at the track and of course you wonder what it would be like to be in red… But then I go to my team, to Mercedes, and this is my home. I’m happy where I am. I haven’t signed a contract yet, but we are working on one.”

Leclerc has been at Ferrari since 2019 and Hamilton will be his third team-mate at Scuderia, having partnered Sebastian Vettel for two seasons and Sainz since 2021.

Image: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be team-mates from 2025
Asked last year if he would welcome Hamilton as a team-mate, he said: “If I say yes, I imagine it being the title of every newspaper. But I mean, Lewis is such an incredible driver, has achieved so much in the sport.

“So, I think anybody on the grid will love to have Lewis as a team-mate, as everybody will learn a lot from him. But yeah, again, I’m happy where I am. And with Carlos, it’s a great relationship too.”

Reaction to Hamilton’s shock move
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Who will replace Hamilton?
Hamilton’s surprise announcement leaves Mercedes in a tricky position as they are losing a driver seen as one of the greatest of all time.

Sainz, who was the only non-Red Bull race winner last year, also loses out and is now without a drive for 2025.

“What I think is worth mentioning here is this explains why McLaren signed up Lando Norris to a longer-term deal a couple of weeks ago and why Ferrari signed up Leclerc as well,” added Slater.

“Ferrari, as soon as they knew they were getting Hamilton – and I understand this courtship has been going on for several months, it’s not a new thing… – the other teams have been aware their prize assets might be a target for Mercedes.