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Lewis Hamilton admits that he will need to have a conversation with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, discussing finer details ahead of his Formula 1 move to Ferrari in 2025.
Hamilton will spend his final season at Mercedes, after spending 12 seasons with the Silver Arrows. The seven-ime world champion announced the shock move to Ferrari on 1 February.
However, the Briton has emphasised that his full focus is still on his final season with Mercedes, despite him joining Ferrari next season.
Despite Hamilton focusing on Mercedes still, there will be a time when the 39-year-old and Mercedes will have to sort out the situation. The Brackley team will want to hide any details regarding next year’s car from Hamilton, as he won’t be at the team in 2025.
Not the first time in this situation
This is not the first time that Hamilton is having to exit a team, knowing what team he will be joining next season. The Briton’s move to Mercedes from McLaren had been announced much later in the 2012 season, on 28 September.
However, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was announced before the season had even begun. Therefore, Hamilton is thinking about when he “will have to” start talking to Ferrari and how that process will happen. The seven-time world champion believes talking to his team boss will be the first step:
“I think it will start with a conversation with Toto, because I don’t know how to navigate. I’ve never been in this position before at this point of the year.”
“When I was leaving McLaren, it was towards the end of the season. I didn’t get to go to Mercedes till, I think, it was in December when I had my first seat fit, after the season was done. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to navigate it.”
Priority still at Mercedes
However, despite the time for talking to Ferrari coming ever closer, Hamilton has reaffirmed his commitment to prioritise his final season with Mercedes. The seven-time world champion his hoping to be able to win his first race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“Right now, I want to finish on a high here”, he added. “So all my energy is going into this. Of course, there’s excitement for the future. But right now, we’re going through a difficult place. That’s my challenge.
“That’s where all my energy is going, to try and figure out how we can get ourselves back to the top. How can I work with the guys? How can I give better debriefs, give them better direction to get back fighting at the front?
“I’m a competitor first and foremost, so I want to win. Just thinking about the next year isn’t going to help me do that.”
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