Former F1 driver and current Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle has responded to Lewis Hamilton’s remarks regarding his departure from Mercedes to join Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion is set to conclude his final season with the Silver Arrows after agreeing to a multi-year contract with Ferrari, stepping in for Carlos Sainz starting from 2025.
Hamilton’s ties with Mercedes span over 25 years, originating from the period when the German car manufacturer held a stake in Hamilton’s former team McLaren during his junior driving days.
Hamilton has addressed his move publicly on two occasions so far, both in a social media post and during Mercedes’ 2024 car launch last week.
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In his social media announcement, the 39-year-old expressed that his decision to move was ‘filled with a whole range of emotions’, admitting it to be ‘the hardest I’ve ever had to make’.
However, he also mentioned fulfilling a ‘childhood dream’ by joining Ferrari, where he will be partnering with Charles Leclerc.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast on Friday, Brundle provided a straightforward assessment of Hamilton’s comments, suggesting that the decision might not have been as difficult as portrayed by the British driver.
He remarked, “I don’t buy all of this, ‘It’s going to be emotional leaving’. Lewis is a winning machine and that’s what he wants to do.
It’s a good contract, he’ll be paid a lot of money, get a lot of love, and it will be one of global sport’s biggest stories in 2025.”
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Regarding Hamilton’s contract situation, which saw him opt out of activating a previously announced year’s extension in his Mercedes deal that would have extended his tenure into 2025.
Brundle added, “The teams are slightly disingenuous when they tell you about new contract signings, because they only tell you edited highlights that suit them.”
Brundle further highlighted, “Clearly, they forgot to mention that Hamilton had an exit clause, which he has chosen to take very early indeed. I see everybody’s got an opportunity here.”