Will Hamilton drive for Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi test? Mercedes reveals
F1 News
Lewis Hamilton has had incredible success with Mercedes throughout his career. The seven-time world champion has driven all 18 of his F1 seasons with Mercedes power, six of those with McLaren and 12 with the Mercedes works team. This long-lasting partnership will soon be ending, however, as Hamilton's last race with Mercedes will be in Abu Dhabi in December. There will be no chance to see the Brit in Ferrari red early, as he will not participate in the post-season test at the very same circuit.
The succesful pair have achieved 105 victories, 201 podiums and 104 poles throughout their time together in the sport. Hamilton's Ferrari move was announced in February, and it's safe to say the announcement shook the F1 world to its core. How quickly, then, will we see the seven-time world champion with his new team? It will not be this year, Mercedes has confirmed to GPblog.
Mercedes rules out early chance to see Hamilton in red
Mercedes has confirmed that Hamilton will not be driving at the Abu Dhabi post-season test - nor for Mercedes, nor for Ferrari. The reason? The seven-time world champion will not even be in the country at that time. The team confirmed that George Russell will participate in the tyre test, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli will participate in the Young Driver test.
Hamilton's replacement is young Italian star Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old will be getting to grips with the 2024 challenger at the end of the season. Lewis Hamilton is under contract with Mercedes until the end of the year, meaning there will still be a fair amount of farewell work before his contract expires. The seven-time world champion will sit out the test, with Mercedes and Ferrari opting for a different lineup.
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!