Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of being confirmed as a Ferrari driver for 2025, following a surprising decision to leave Mercedes.
The transition from the German team to teaming up with Charles Leclerc at Maranello might be officially disclosed as soon as Thursday evening.
Inside sources relayed that Mercedes personnel were briefed about this change during a meeting at the Brackley factory on Thursday afternoon, led by Toto Wolff, the team’s principal, and James Allison, the technical director.
Mercedes is now faced with the task of considering its future driver lineup, especially since potential replacements like Lando Norris and Leclerc are under contract with other teams.
To date, neither Ferrari nor Mercedes has publicly commented on Hamilton’s impending move, a development that has stirred the Formula 1 community.
Nonetheless, the financial repercussions of Hamilton’s decision became evident when Ferrari’s value surged on the New York Stock Exchange.
Following a positive financial forecast and an expected increase in EBITDA to $2.64 billion for the year, thanks to a robust order book, Ferrari’s stock price saw a significant jump. From a closing price of $346.78 on Wednesday, it soared to $384.00 shortly after Thursday’s market opening, with predictions of further increases.
This surge boosted Ferrari’s market capitalization to an estimated $69.12 billion, significantly higher than the $62.4 billion valuation at the previous day’s close, reflecting nearly a $7 billion enhancement in value. This spike represents a major endorsement of Ferrari’s strategy to bring Hamilton on board, highlighting a peak in the company’s market performance on the NYSE, considerably above its 12-month low of $252.17.
Hamilton, who last year inked a long-term deal with Mercedes for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, seems to have opted for a clause that permits him to exit for Ferrari in 2025, taking over from Carlos Sainz as his contract concludes this year.
