System 1 | Hamilton: My decision to join Ferrari needs no justification

Lewis Hamilton said his decision to join Ferrari did not have to be “justified” and criticize “posts” almost his departure from Mercedes F1 next season.

The seven-time world champion stunned the sporting world in February by confirming that 2024 would be his 12th and final season with Mercedes before joining the Italian team.

Hamilton has been repeatedly asked about his team’s changes during the early stages of the 2024 season, which has seen Ferrari start better than Mercedes. Many assume that the Englishman knew what was coming in terms of competition and made his decision based on the data seen during the off-season.

"I don’t feel I need to be justified in my decision," Hamilton said this Thursday in Shanghai ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

“I know what was right for me, and that hasn’t changed since I made the decision.”

“There hasn’t been a single moment where I’ve questioned it, and I’m not swayed by other people’s opinions or rumors about why I left.”

“Even today there are people who continue to talk and say stupid things. And this will continue until the end of the year. And I will just have to do what I did the last time last year, when I left McLaren for Mercedes.”

“Only you can know what’s best for you and this will be a fun time for me.”

“I’m going to run until I’m forty years old. So yeah, it’s not a decision I made on the spur of the moment.”