F1 Rumor: Lewis Hamilton Set To Take Key Sponsors Away From Mercedes To Ferrari

Saajan Jogia | 16 Hours Ago

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of Team Great Britain walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While Ferrari has detailed its plan for Lewis Hamilton's onboarding process, set to begin in late January 2025, it has been reported that Hamilton will take along several key sponsors with him from Mercedes to Ferrari. As of now, three sponsors have been named for a switch to the Scuderia team.

Hamilton's Ferrari signing shook the world of Formula 1 after his February announcement, sending the driver market into overdrive. The seven-time world champion, who spent 12 seasons with Mercedes and secured six world titles, moves to Ferrari next year with the hope of securing the eighth world title, which would put him into Formula 1's history books as the greatest of all time. However, Mercedes will not only witness Hamilton's exit from its garage but also some of the sponsors that have been supporting him.

According to Autoracer.it, Hamilton is set to arrive in Emilia in late January, marking the start of his integration with Ferrari. On his first day at Ferrari's headquarters, the Italian outfit plans to document his introduction to the factory and interactions with key personnel across various departments. While this initial footage will capture the event, it is unlikely to include statements from Hamilton, as he is expected to focus on familiarizing himself with his new environment.

Speaking of his first track outing, it is set to take place on the team’s home track in Fiorano. For this session, he will pilot one of the ground effect cars from recent seasons, likely either the F1-75 from 2022 or the SF-23 from last year. Both options are permitted under current regulations, and Ferrari’s engineers will select the car based on the specific training program designed for the 39-year-old driver.

The British driver is backed by several brands sponsoring him at Mercedes for the current season, which include IWC (watch manufacturer), Monster Energy Drinks, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, and Sony. While the exact duration of each sponsorship is unknown, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, and Monster Energy will reportedly sponsor Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025.

In addition, Hamilton could also sponsor himself at Ferrari through his non-alcoholic beverage Almave, which is backed by the French Pernod Ricard company, the second-largest wine and spirits company in the world. It is reported that Hamilton plans to leverage the French firm's extensive global distribution network and capitalize on its expertise in establishing new brands.

Confirming Hamilton's first drive in a Ferrari F1 car, team principal Fred Vasseur revealed that the seven-time world champion will hit the track in an older model during a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) session ahead of the 2025 pre-season test. He noted that a veteran driver like Hamilton, with 17 years of experience in top-tier motorsport, would require minimal time to adapt to the car. He said:

“I'm not sure that he needs tons of hours of acclimatisation.

“He is experienced enough to be quick on the first day, or at least very soon. We'll have one or two TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] days, plus the test in Bahrain, and that will be enough.”

Vasseur added that Ferrari was making preparations for the next season after including Hamilton in its plans and strategies. He said:

“For sure we have part of the team already focusing on 2025, on the test plan, on the communication and so, with Lewis being part of this.

“But not on the race team and it's not on my mind.”