When the news of Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari broke, it caused such buzz globally. Finally, it was time for Hamilton to walk into Maranello, Ferrari’s sacred grounds, and he went straight to work, driving the Ferrari for 30 laps on Wednesday. Hamilton took the first 10 laps in wet conditions, and it was followed by shorter test runs, helping him understand the SF-23 better.
The Fiorano test track was packed with fans, wanting to see Hamilton take his first drive, all suited in red. Hamilton also took the time to greet his fans — but why the buzz? Here’s a timeline of Lewis Hamilton and his career in Formula 1.
McLaren (2007–2012)
Hamilton joined McLaren in 2007, the moment when Montoya made his move to NASCAR and Kimi Raikkonen saw his space with Ferrari. After extensive testing, the team finally confirmed him as the second driver. He was quick to rack on fame as he finished third in his debut, while he set several records such as the most consecutive podium finishes from debut, the most wins in a debut season, and the most points in a debut season. The following year, he managed 10 podium finishes and won his first F1 championship — the first of several.
Mercedes (2013–2024)
2013 saw Hamilton sign up with Mercedes-Benz, taking Schumacher’s seat for a deal worth 60 million pounds. He was also racing alongside Nico Rosberg, his karting buddy from his earlier years. In the first year, despite critics voicing about his bad move to a team that had no success in recent years, Hamilton finished the season in fourth. When the rules changed to turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, Mercedes quickly made the most of it, and Mercedes won 16 of the 19 races that year.
2014 also saw Hamilton win his second world title, followed by 2015, making it his third championship. Then, the titles followed in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The 2022 season was bad, with Hamilton not securing a race win or pole position. 2023 saw the team lose its competitiveness and Hamilton went through another winless year, watching Red Bull dominate.
Ferrari (2025 onwards)
In 2024, the Maranello-based team made an announcement that Hamilton would be replacing Carlos Sainz Jr, in a multi-year contract worth 40 million pounds a year. He will be racing alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. It was always a dream for Hamilton to race for Ferrari and his childhood dreams have eventually come true. Stay tuned for more F1 updates as the 2025 F1 season is about to kick off in March.