Berlin, 1 February 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, both teams said on Thursday.

The move sends shockwaves through F1, similar to those caused by Hamilton's switch from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 season.

"Lewis has activated a release option in the contract announced last August and this season will therefore be his last driving for the Silver Arrows," Mercedes said in a statement.

With the German team, Hamilton dominated F1 from the 2014 to 2020, winning six of his seven world titles with Mercedes and matching the record set by former Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher.

He's also the driver with most F1 wins (103) and most podiums (197).

"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," Hamilton said.

Ferrari recently announced that their current driver Charles Leclerc has signed a multi-year contract extension to continue to race for the team beyond the end of 2024.

Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz, who said on Thursday that he will part ways with Ferrari at the end of the year.

Ferrari have been trying to sign Hamilton for years, but their previous offers have been rejected because the seven-time F1 world champion felt Mercedes offered him a better route to success.

However, after two frustrating seasons with the German outfit and no F1 wins since December 2021, Hamilton was convinced to join Ferrari.

"Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract," Ferrari said in a statement following Mercedes' announcement.

Hamilton has also said in the past that it was a childhood dream of his to drive for the iconic Italian team, who holds the record for most F1 titles (16).

At the end of last season, Hamilton was sounding equivocal about his belief in Mercedes' ability to recover from two difficult seasons and challenge Red Bull, who have claimed three consecutive drivers' championships with Max Verstappen in the past three seasons and back-to-back constructors' titles in 2022 and 2023.

He still signed a contract extension with Mercedes for 2024 and 2025, but decided to activate his release option.

"In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.

"We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024," he added.

Another reason why Hamilton might have decided to join Ferrari is the fact that the team is now headed by his former mentor Frederic Vasseur.

The British driver won Formula Three and GP2 (now Formula Two) championships with Vasseur's ART team in 2005 and 2006 before making his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007.

Vasseur took over as Ferrari team principal last year and has previously said he and Hamilton are "still very close."

The move is also expected to have a huge impact in the driver market. Mercedes will be looking for a replacement for Hamilton and a team-mate for George Russell at the end of the season, while Sainz will be looking for a new job.

"We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best. News about my future will be announced in due course," Sainz said in a statement.

Among the recognized top drivers, only veteran Fernando Alonso would be available to join Mercedes, as his contract with Aston Martin expires this year.

Other drivers with contracts expiring at the end of the 2024 season include Red Bull's Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo of RB (formerly Alpha Tauri) and former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, currently at Kick Sauber (formerly Alfa Romeo).

Champion Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, while Lando Norris recently signed a new deal with McLaren until 2026.

Photo: X/Mercedes AMG Petronas