- Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the current season
- Hamilton signed a mega £40million-plus deal with the Italian giants in February
- The move will provide the Brit with another chance to win his eighth world title
Lewis Hamilton’s start date at Ferrari has reportedly been set as he is set to follow in the footsteps of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher.
The seven-time world champion stunned the racing world in February when it was confirmed he would be leaving Mercedes for the Prancing Horse.
Hamilton signed a mega £40million-plus deal with the Italian giants and will embark on his new chapter following the conclusion of the current season.
However, the 39-year-old will not adorn the colours of Ferrari until the new year with his first day at the Scuderia being kept under wraps.
When that time comes, Hamilton will move to the former house of founder Enzo Ferrari in Marinello, according to Italian F1 commentator Carlo Vanzini.
Lewis Hamilton’s ‘top secret’ start date at his new team Ferrari has reportedly been set
Hamilton will allegedly move to the old house of founder Enzo Ferrari (pictured) in Marinello
Only seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has been allowed to live there in the past
The only previous Ferrari driver to have been bestowed that honour is Schumacher, who won five consecutive F1 titles during his 10-year spell in Italy.
Hamilton is recreating the career path of his fellow seven-time champion by moving to Ferrari but is doing so in reverse order.
The British driver replaced Schumacher at Mercedes for the 2013 season, with the German then retiring from the sport a year before his horror ski accident.
Six of Hamilton’s seven titles have come behind the wheel of the Mercedes, with the last of those coming in 2020.
He will join Ferrari on a multi-year deal with the aim of recapturing the World Drivers’ Championship from Max Verstappen – and setting a new record of eight title triumphs.
Usually, when drivers move teams they have the chance to test out the car in the post-season testing after the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
However, Mercedes are not allowing Hamilton to take part in it due to planned commitments. And while his start date has been set, it is being kept ‘top secret’, according to Vanzini.
With the news of his move breaking before the start of the 2024 campaign in Bahrain, Hamilton stressed he was focused on his final season at Mercedes.
Hamilton will leave Mercedes after six driver’s title and 11 years at the end of the 2024 season
The British driver will replace Carlos Sainz (left) while Kimi Antonelli will partner George Russell at Mercedes
However, he did write a social media post in which he shared his excitement about achieving his ambition of driving for the Scuderia.
Back in February, Hamilton wrote: ‘I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid. ‘I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red.’
When the time comes, Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz, who is Williams-bound in the new year, while teenage phenom Kimi Antonelli will partner George Russell in the Mercedes.
The equal-most decorated driver in the sport is currently 54 points behind his predecessor as he endures a tough final campaign at the Silver Arrows.
Meanwhile, his soon-to-be team-mate Charles Leclerc sits third in the driver’s standings as he hangs onto the coattails of current champion Max Verstappen and Lando Norris with just three races to go.
