Hamilton finalized his last Mercedes contract while in discussions with Ferrari.

      Lewis Hamilton was already engaged in discussions with Ferrari when he finalized his last Mercedes contract in mid-2023. On August 31, 2023, the seven-time world champion and Toto Wolff officially signed a two-year agreement that included an exit clause after 2024.

      When asked by France’s Auto Hebdo about the start of talks with Hamilton, now 40, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed this week: "It was during the 2023 Monaco GP - on May 28, to be exact, my birthday. I quickly realized that there was a strong interest on his part and that it could materialize," the Frenchman noted.

      Hamilton himself acknowledged that he signed both the Mercedes and Ferrari contracts within a short span. "I remember hanging up the phone," the British driver recounted, "and I was shaking. I thought, ‘Oh my God’. I had just committed to Mercedes. There was a lot to take in, and my emotions were very intense. I needed to take a walk to clear my thoughts," Hamilton explained.

      Interestingly, a scene from the latest season of F1’s Netflix series Drive To Survive shows Wolff discussing with his wife Susie in early 2024 about potential successors to Hamilton. "You don’t think Max (Verstappen) is an option?" Susie inquired. Wolff replied, "I haven’t spoken to him because I promised Lewis I wouldn’t. But I will have that conversation now."

      In the end, Verstappen stayed with Red Bull for 2025, while Mercedes brought on Wolff’s 18-year-old protégé, Kimi Antonelli.