"There comes a time when you feel you're not valued": F1 pundit on what could have led to Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari

F1 pundit Lawrence Barretto recently gave his opinion on why Lewis Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes to join Ferrari.

The entire F1 fanbase was shocked to its core when it was confirmed that the legendary British driver would move teams on February 1. This was particularly shocking since Hamilton was extremely loyal to Mercedes, having driven for them since 2013.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Barretto felt that Lewis Hamilton was at a point in his stint with Mercedes where he did not feel as valued as he would have wanted. The F1 pundit added that the seven-time world champion was only given a one-year extension with an exit clause for 2025, which could have been 'disappointing'. He said.

"I think there comes a time when you feel like you're not valued. I think that offer of a one-year deal for Lewis, who still believes he's operating at the peak of his powers; he still believes that he can go and win World Championships; he still believes that he can beat Max Verstappen, who's dominating the sport and then the team offers you a one-year deal. I would be pretty disappointed by that I think."

Before this, Lawrence Barretto stated that the move to Ferrari did not mean that Lewis Hamilton was not loyal. He mentioned how the driver spoke about Toto Wolff and Mercedes with respect in a press conference after the news was announced.

Barretto said:

"I think Lewis is loyal, and I think he has a lot of time and respect for Toto. And those quotes in the press release where he said how close he is to Toto and how respectful he is of Toto is true. I think genuinely every time Lewis said I want to end my career at Mercedes, he was being honest, I don't think he was lying at that point."

Lewis Hamilton will drive for Mercedes for the very last time in 2024. This will end a 12-year partnership, marking the longest driver-team pairing in F1's history.

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Lewis Hamilton's emotional press release after his Ferrari move was announced

On Mercedes' official website, Lewis Hamilton expressed how he thoroughly enjoyed every year with Mercedes and that the move was one of the hardest decisions of his life. He explained:

"I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It's a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge."

The British F1 driver won six of his seven world championships with the team. He also helped the Silver Arrows win eight consecutive constructors' world championships from 2014 to 2021.