The news from Brackley is here. Lewis Hamilton will officially be leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024 and joining the Scuderia Ferrari. The rumors started brewing early in the morning and it was soon confirmed that Lewis Hamilton had put the pen to paper and signed the contract with Ferrari. Soon after news broke that Mercedes will be having a team meeting at 2:00 PM GMT with Toto Wolff and James Allison addressing the team.

Sources suggest that the meeting at Brackley was about 10 minutes long and Toto Wolff informed the team of Hamilton’s departure. Rachel Brooke, outside the Mercedes factory in Brackley, said, “We can confirm that Lewis Hamilton is going to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Staff here at the Mercedes Brackley base have just been informed that that is what is happening. the meeting lasted about 10 minutes or so. We saw the staff and within 10-14 minutes, they were leaving again. They’ve been informed that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024 season”

Sources suggest that an official announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will be made around 7:00 PM GMT. Ferrari constantly pursued Hamilton to sign with them during the 2023 season. While the Briton politely declined John Elkann’s offer of $49 Million a year, he once again met with John Elkann today to sign the Ferrari contract. The duration of the contract and the salary are still unknown.

Read More: F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Signs With Ferrari for 2025, Toto Wolff Addresses Mercedes

The question that remains to be answered now is who will be replacing Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next year? Mick Schumacher, the Mercedes reserve driver, might have a shot. Esteban Ocon, managed by Toto Wolff also might have a chance. 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a Mercedes Academy driver taking on F2 this season, is another potential candidate. Nonetheless, let’s further look into the details of Hamilton leaving Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move caught Toto Wolff and Mercedes off guard 

“We still have unfinished business,” said Lewis Hamilton as he signed the contract extension with Mercedes last year. One wouldn’t expect that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes without giving proper notice to his team. And while Hamilton has given Mercedes a year to look for a driver, the news caught Wolff by surprise. It is suggested that Hamilton earlier attended a Mercedes meeting online. 

Motorsport.com’s Brazilian outlet suggests that Lewis Hamilton only informed Toto Wolff of his departure on Wednesday, i.e. a day before the rumors surfaced. It is also believed that Toto Wolff attended the Mercedes Team Briefing online as he’s currently in Milan. 

Watch this Story: Will Lewis Hamilton Consider a Move to Ferrari if Mercedes Doesn’t Deliver?

What do you make of this scenario? Who will be the one replacing Lewis Hamilton?