Hamilton didn’t tell his parents about Ferrari deal

Lewis Hamilton kept his decision to leave the Mercedes Formula 1 team and join Ferrari in 2025 a closely guarded secret, not even informing his parents until the day of the unexpected announcement. The news surfaced on the morning of February 1, one day after Hamilton had a breakfast conversation with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, where he conveyed his decision to switch to Ferrari for the 2025 season.

As the story leaked initially, Mercedes and Ferrari refrained from confirming the surprising move until they coordinated their official announcements later that evening. Hamilton disclosed that he had not disclosed his decision to his parents until that same day.

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Speaking on the new BBC podcast series ‘F1: Back at Base,’ narrated by Joseph Fiennes, Hamilton explained, “I didn’t speak to anybody. I didn’t tell my parents till the day of it being announced. So, no one knew. I really wanted to do it for myself. Ultimately, I had to find out what would be the best for me.”

Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes, concluding a nearly 12-year tenure, was made possible by a contract extension he signed last summer.