Mercedes has announced a new sponsor deal with Adidas after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton left the team to join Scuderia Ferrari in the 2025 season. However, fans in the comment section of the team’s official post had mixed reactions.

The Silver Arrows seemed to have moved on from Hamilton. After 11 years of glory, the British driver parted ways with the Brackley-based outfit to embark on a new journey with the iconic Italian team, Ferrari. The eight-time constructor championship winner chose Andrea Kimi Antonelli as his replacement alongside George Russell in the forthcoming season.

Before the 2025 F1 season, Mercedes signed a groundbreaking multi-year deal with sports apparel brand Adidas. The team previously had PUMA as a kit sponsor on board. However, Adidas will debut in F1 with Toto Wolff and Co. The team announced the new sponsor deal on X (previously known as Twitter). But fans had mixed reactions in the comment section.

“Thriving without Lewis Hamilton,” one said.
“Quite fitting to have two German companies together,” another said.
“Adidas is making waves by signing the best in business in the last decade,” a third fan wrote.
A user questioned Mercedes’ status with Tommy Hilfiger, suggesting the brand left the team alongside Lewis Hamilton.

“Tommy left with Hamilton 😂,” they said.
“TH left with LH,” another wrote.
“Would be even Better if you Guys had a German Driver! 🙂 ,” yet another said.
Tommy Hilfiger signed Hamilton as a brand ambassador before it onboarded George Russell. However, on Mercedes’ official page, the brand’s name is missing from the partners list. Thus, speculations over a potential fallout have gained momentum.

The Silver Arrows have struggled with the car’s pace and performance since 2021. Hamilton’s premature exit from his two-year extension contract was linked to the team’s downfall. Regardless, with a new driver lineup, it will aim for a better season in 2025.

Lewis Hamilton reflects on his final year with Mercedes: “Finished on a high”
Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Image Source: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Image Source: Getty)
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton ended his 11-year stint with Mercedes following the conclusion of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In an interview with the BBC, he shared his emotions and felt grateful to finish on a high.

“It has been probably the longest year of my life, knowing from the beginning I was leaving. It’s like a relationship where you’ve told whoever the counterpart is you’re leaving, but you’re living together for a year. Lots of ups and downs, but we finished on a high today,” Lewis Hamilton said.
Hamilton snapped out of the longest winless streak of his career in the 2024 season by winning the British Grand Prix. With 223 total points, the Brit finished P7 in the 2024 F1 drivers championship race.

Edited by Aayush Kapoor