Your questions answered: All you need to know about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move

Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari has left the F1 world spinning and plenty of questions have arisen from the remarkable situation.

The seven-time World Champion will make the switch from silver to red in 2025 in one of the most sensational moves in F1 history. But how long will he be there for? How much will he earn? And who will Mercedes replace him with? All those questions are answered below:

When did Mercedes find out Lewis Hamilton was leaving?

Hamilton’s remarkable move went from secret to confirmed in the space of just 36 hours and was one that left Mercedes in the dark for almost as long as the outside world.

Speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com, Wolff outlined the timeline of events that led to Hamilton’s exit.

The Mercedes boss said Hamilton met him at his Oxfordshire home to inform Wolff of his decision to leave the team in 2025. And that was that.

“When we re-signed the contract with Lewis, we opted for shorter term,” Wolff said.

“So the events are not a surprise, [but] maybe the timing. So what happened is that we got together for coffee in my place in Oxford, and him returning to the factory, and he said to me he’d decided to race for Ferrari in 2025.

“That was basically it, we had a good hour of conversation and… this is where we are.”

As to when Hamilton decided to move, that remains a secret but Wolff suggested that when they last spoke before the winter break, Hamilton appeared keen to stay.

“I cannot tell you exactly,” he said.

“I only know that we were very aligned when we went into the Christmas period [in] what we said in public and in the team.

“You need to ask Lewis why he changed his mind. How he framed it to me is perfectly understandable – he needed a new challenge, that he was looking for a different environment, and that it was maybe the last possibility to do something else.

“We’re big boys. We knew that, by signing a short-term contract, it could be of benefit for both sides.

“We couldn’t commit for a longer period and he’s taken the option to exit. So we totally respect that you can change your mind with different circumstances. Switching to Ferrari, maybe for the last peak in his career, [he’s] maybe rolling the dice a bit. I can follow that decision.”

Why has Lewis Hamilton decided to join Ferrari?

There are two reported reasons as to why Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes for Ferrari and, as to which one was more important, well that will depend on who it is you are asking.

The obvious place to start is that it is Ferrari, and Hamilton has often spoken of his dream to one day race for F1’s most famous team. A fresh challenge in what will almost certainly be the last move of his career and to the one team he always wanted to drive for is obvious reasoning – but there has been a suggestion of contract issues as well.

With Hamilton at 39 years of age, Mercedes appeared unwilling to offer him the three-year deal he was after, as well as the chance to become a brand ambassador after he hangs up his helmet. The compromise was a 1+1 deal with the first year of that contract beginning in 2024.

But Ferrari were less hesitant. They offered Hamilton a multi-year deal and an eye-watering salary to go with it.

As for what Hamilton himself has said, he hinted at a desire for a new challenge.

“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together,” he said.

“Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.

“But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together.”

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How long is Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari contract?

Ferrari announced Hamilton had been signed to a “multi-year” deal but reports have suggested it is two years allowing the driver to find his feet in 2025 before the regulations change in 2026.

What is Lewis Hamilton’s salary at Ferrari?

Of course, Ferrari are not going to publicly announce how much Hamilton is set to earn but some well connected sources have put the figure close to $100 million.

Italian media Formu1a.uno report that between salary, sponsors, image rights, bonuses and more, the seven-time World Champion will take home that eye-watering figure, making him one of the highest paid drivers in Ferrari’s history.

As to where that puts Hamilton in terms of the best-paid drivers on the current grid, it unsurprisingly would make him top, surpassing the $70 million earned by Max Verstappen.

But Hamilton could stand to make even more money according to Sportune who say the deal could be worth a total of €400 million.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been the one leading the charge to sign Hamilton and appeared ready to offer him a blank cheque to make the move. A first deal was offered in early 2023 which would have been €46 million euros a year but Hamilton wanted assurances for his foundation, Mission 44.

The latest deal, which Hamilton took, is reportedly €80 million a season with €20 million of that going to the foundation.

Another part of the agreement is the promise of a joint investment fund with around €250 million via the Exor family business which would invest in Hamilton’s charitable projects.

What was Mercedes’ process to replace Lewis Hamilton?

Replacing a seven-time World Champion is no easy feat and the last time Mercedes had to do that, it was Hamilton being brought in but, after impressing in Formula 2, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was promoted to the big time for his F1 debut.

Earlier this year, Toto Wolff hinted it could be an “unexpected” choice to replace Hamilton.

“First of all, having George in the team is great for the team,” said Wolff.

“He’s been going toe to toe with Lewis the last two seasons, there was nothing between them. And knowing that we have a driver at that level, makes the decision for the second seat much more comfortable.

“And I haven’t really properly reflected with the team on where we want to go, from rookie to very experienced, because I don’t know yet what is the best for any potential driver that’s coming in, or for the team going forward.

“If you told me two days ago that Lewis would be going to Ferrari, I didn’t think it was possible, so situations and things can change quickly. Contracts are only as good as the driver or the teams want to race. And who knows what’s happening in the driver markets that could be unexpected and opportunities for us.”

Will other Mercedes members leave for Ferrari?

One of the big questions on everybody’s mind was ‘what about Bono?’

Bono, or Peter Bonnington to give him his full name, is Hamilton’s long-term race engineer and the idea of the two not being together seems unthinkable right now.

However, both signalled the end of their partnership at the end of the 2024 season, with one last “Hammertime” initiated in Abu Dhabi.

When asked if he will miss working with Hamilton before the end of the season, Bonnington told Sky F1, knowingly:?“Oh, yeah.

“It is going to be really tough come Abu Dhabi. We’ll get through that race one lap at a time, and have a great party afterwards.”

And giving words to sum his driver up, he added: “Special, really special. Obviously talent is another one, and just a great human being.

“Just some of the things he does not in the car but outside the car, just the way he carries himself, not necessarily in the public eye but just the things that I’ve seen him do, I just think ‘that’s a real selfless act.'”

As for other Mercedes employees, should any of them also wish to go then they too will have to negotiate an exit strategy from Brackley – and follow any gardening leave procedures that may follow, as with any staff move in Formula 1.

Read next: Revealed: The remarkable 36-hour timeline behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move