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Having completed the biggest driver transfer in F1 history by making the switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, the Brackley-based outfit’s team boss Toto Wolff has revealed that he sent a message to seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton after the Scuderia had released the first official images.
Lewis Hamilton announced his shock departure from Mercedes last February. The announcement caught the Formula One community by surprise, as the seven-time world champion was set to race for the Brackley-based outfit until the end of 2025.
However, an exit clause in his contract allowed Hamilton to leave the team in 2025 if he wished, and the Briton elected to terminate his contract at the end of the 2024 F1 season and seek for a new challenge at Ferrari this year.
Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in the history of Formula One, tied with the great German seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on the number of world championship titles.
The seven-time world champion made his first official visit to Ferrari’s Maranello-based headquarters two weeks ago of which the Scuderia posted a photo. The picture shows Hamilton standing in front of a Ferrari F40 supercar outside Enzo Ferrari’s house wearing a pinstripe suit and tie.
Sharing the photo on his own Instagram account, Hamilton commented: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realize that dream today.
“Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”
Reflecting on Hamilton’s first images as a Ferrari driver, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff drew parallels between looking at these photos and spotting an ex-partner with a new friend for the first time.
“It’s a little bit like you divorce amicably, and then you see your partner for the first time with a new friend. But I’m really happy for him and I told him that those pictures were iconic,” noted the Austrian.
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