Lewis Hamilton opens up on shock move from Mercedes to Ferrari - 'Hardest decision I've ever had to make'

Lewis Hamilton has described his move to Ferrari as the “hardest decision I’ve ever had to make” ahead of his final season as a Mercedes driver.

The seven-time world champion made the shock announcement this month that he will join the Italian constructor next season on a multi-year deal.

Hamilton’s move will end a long-running relationship with Mercedes, where he has won six world titles and signed a contract extension just last summer.

But speaking ahead of the 2024 season beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2, the Brit made it clear that it had not been a simple choice for him.

“Obviously in the summer we signed and at that time I saw my future with Mercedes,” Hamilton said.

“But an opportunity came up in the New Year and I decided to take it. I feel like it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make.

“I have had a relationship with Mercedes since I was 13. They have supported me, and we have had an incredible journey together, created history within the sport and it is something I take a lot of pride in.

“But ultimately I am writing my story, and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter.”

Hamilton celebrated his 39th birthday last month and will be in his 40s by the time he drives his first race with Ferrari.

His last world title came in 2020, his sixth in seven years, but since then he has finished second, sixth and third in the Drivers’ Championship standings after Max Verstappen and Red Bull's period of dominance.

Hamilton’s seven titles put him level with Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher as the most decorated driver of all time and he admitted that emulating the German in the red of Ferrari was a draw for him.

“I think for every driver growing up, watching history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think all of us sit in our garages, and you see the screen pop up, you see a driver in the red cockpit, and you wonder what it will be like to be surrounded by the red,” Hamilton said.

“You go to the Italian Grand Prix in Monza and you see the sea of red of Ferrari fans and you can only stand in awe of that. It is a team that has not had huge success since Michael’s days, and I see it as a huge challenge.

“As a kid I used to play the Grand Prix 2 computer game as Michael in that [Ferrari] car. It is definitely a dream, and I am really excited about it.”

Ferrari is the oldest and most successful Formula 1 team but has not had a world champion since Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 triumph.

Last season, Ferrari finished third in the Constructors' Championship behind Red Bull and Mercedes, with Charles Leclerc fifth and Carlos Sainz seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

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