Mercedes fans unnerved by how Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move panned out - “They didn't show much faith in him”

Mercedes reportedly did not provide Lewis Hamilton with the contract clauses that he expected, which might have prompted his move to Ferrari.

After the official announcement of Hamilton's move to Ferrari, it has been reported by F1 reporter Lawrence Barretto that the Brit was approached by Ferrari chairman John Elkann in May 2023 to move to the team later. He stated that it was the last time that the call was informal between the two.

This was also around the time when Lewis Hamilton's contract was not extended by Mercedes. Reportedly, he approached the team seeking a three-year extension, while they insisted on a one-year extension, finally settling with a 1+1 year contract.

Barretto feels, talking on the F1 Nation Podcast, that this might have triggered Hamilton to think about his future with Ferrari. The team was offering him a multi-year contract and their development had been well off, given how they performed initially in the season.

Fans on social media were not pleased with the way Lewis Hamilton was reportedly treated at Mercedes despite his success through the years. Many analyzed this as the reason for his exit from the team. One fan said:

"They didn't show much faith in him. And it felt, even last year, that they were looking beyond him for the future. Favoring George."

Some compared this to the situation that Fernando Alonso faced with Alpine, triggering his move to Aston Martin in 2023.

Others blamed Mercedes for not providing Lewis Hamilton with a proper multi-year contract that made him prioritize Ferrari.

A lot of fans have also been very supportive of the seven-time world champion making the move to the Italian team.

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Former F1 World Champion predicts a strong Ferrari package influencing Lewis Hamilton's move

There have been many factors that have been analyzed so far that could have triggered Lewis Hamilton to decide to move on from Mercedes after 11 years of racing. Although some are quite apparent, like the team's pace in the last two seasons, former F1 driver Damon Hill assesses that there could be a bigger reason behind the move.

Talking on Sky Sports, he stated that there could have been more benefits for Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari than the most obvious ones. This might as well include a more competitive package.

"But I think that, [with] this decision, we know it’s a given [regarding] the Ferrari benefits of the brand and all the other things that come with [it], the romance and the history and all of that, it’s a given," F1 quoted him as saying. "I think there’s more to this, which is [that] I thought there was [recent] evidence that Ferrari were starting to solidify as a competitive package."

Furthermore, he stated that if Mercedes were still giving the same equipment, it would be better off to try something different with Ferrari.

"They were starting to put together the components and they were starting to get results. And I think if you had a choice between Mercedes giving you the same equipment and Ferrari, I’d rather go to Ferrari and try something different."

Lewis Hamilton would continue to race for Mercedes in the upcoming season of F1 with teammate George Russell. There currently has been no indication of his replacement in 2025.