After 12 years, Lewis Hamilton will leave the Mercedes AMG F1 team, and join Scuderia Ferrari in 2025. This move pretty much stunned the F1 world and few people saw it coming. Many knew that Hamilton was unhappy with the Mercedes car in recent years, but few could have anticipated that it would lead to a move away. Recently, Red Bull’s driver development programme head, Helmut Marko, weighed in on the situation.

Now, Hamilton just has one year with the Brackley-based outfit before he moves to Maranello. The 7-time F1 world champion will likely be aiming to end his final season with them on a high note. Since 2022, the Mercedes team has not been the same, and the team has continued on its downward spiral. Needless to say, Lewis Hamilton has grown increasingly frustrated and impatient with the lack of progress.

Helmut Marko believes that driving for Ferrari tempted Lewis Hamilton

Speaking to German website sport.de, he highlighted what led to the split, in his personal opinion. He told the website, as quoted by Formula Passion, “There is the charm of Ferrari and then Hamilton lost faith in Mercedes”. In a way, he could be right about the charm of Ferrari. After all, Sebastian Vettel did the same thing when he left his all-conquering Red Bull to join Ferrari. Frankly, Scuderia Ferrari is one of the most iconic teams in motorsport, and not just in Formula One.

Driving for the Italian squad is pretty much a bucket list item for so many Formula One drivers. Even outside the F1 circle, there are motorsport athletes who dream of driving a Ferrari. Take for example, MotoGP legend, Valentino Rossi. In 2009, he got a chance to test a Scuderia Ferrari, and five years earlier, got an offer to race in F1. Of course, he would have started off with a backmarker team, Minardi, before eventually progressing to Ferrari, but Rossi declined. That being said, is it really surprising that Hamilton saw the appeal of donning the scarlet overalls?

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The British driver has to see out the 2024 campaign with Mercedes

Obviously, there is still the 2024 season to wrap up. Hopefully, for Hamilton’s sake, Mercedes will produce a relatively competitive car. It will be disheartening if the team struggles and falls behind Red Bull and Ferrari. There is also the danger of a resurgent McLaren, who have a strong line-up of two young and hungry drivers.

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When 2025 arrives though, there is a bit of concern about the power dynamic at Scuderia Ferrari. Charles Leclerc has had a few years to establish himself as the numero uno of Ferrari and the team’s future superstar. However, Hamilton has his own star power, and the worry is that the two-star drivers could clash on the track, and it would be a 2008 McLaren repeat.