Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes prepares on the grid- Source: Getty
F1 insider Matt Whyman claimed that Lewis Hamilton could not get out of his car for "20 minutes" before meeting his team members after announcing his switch to Ferrari from Mercedes. The seven-time world champion caught everyone by surprise after he announced his departure from the German team at the end of the 2024 season, given their successful 12-year stint.
The news was even more shocking as the 39-year-old had signed a contract extension with the Brackley-based outfit in August 2023 that would see him race for them until the end of the 2025 season. However, he decided to activate his release clause one year into his deal and made the switch to the Italian team.
In his book titled 'Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane', Matt Whyman spoke about the anxiousness faced by Lewis Hamilton before seeing his team members after the news broke. He said, via Mirror Sport:
