Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton will part ways at the end of the 2024 season. Lewis has activated a release option in the contract so this season will be his last driving for the team
Mercedes may have been okay with him walking away after 2024; maybe they’d prefer and extra year or two but he’s not getting younger and this removes any awkwardness about a future where Mercedes no longer sees him as their top driver or, even worse, not longer sees him as one of their top two drivers. Obviously that time isn’t now, but 2026? 2027? It could have become a mess.
Mercedes may have been okay with him walking away after 2024; maybe they’d prefer and extra year or two but he’s not getting younger and this removes any awkwardness about a future where Mercedes no longer sees him as their top driver or, even worse, not longer sees him as one of their top two drivers. Obviously that time isn’t now, but 2026? 2027? It could have become a mess.