Lewis Hamilton has hit back at suggestions that his move to Ferrari in 2025 has been vindicated by on-track results this year, saying his decision was made purely because it was right for him.

The seven-time world champion will leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of this season after shocking the F1 world with news of the multiyear contract earlier this year.

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After two seasons struggling to perform under technical regulations introduced in 2022, his current Mercedes team has made its worst start to a season in its F1 history, while Ferrari has emerged as the closest force behind the dominant Red Bull outfit.

Asked whether the results this year vindicated his decision to leave Mercedes, Hamilton said he did not feel the need to prove to anyone that he had made the right move.

“Well, I don’t feel like I need my decision vindicating,” he said ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. “I think I know what’s right for me, and that hasn’t changed since the moment that I made the decision.

“There’s not been a moment where I’ve questioned it, and I’m not swayed by other people’s comments. Even today, there’s people continuing to talk s—, and it will continue on for the rest of the year.

“Only you can know what is right for you. It will be an exciting time for me.”

The exact length of Hamilton’s Ferrari contract has not been made public, other than that he will continue at the team into the 2026 season and F1’s next set of regulations. By the first race in 2026, Hamilton will be 41 years old, but on Thursday he said he could continue “well into my 40s.”

He added: “I never thought I would be racing into my 40s. I’m pretty sure I said I wouldn’t.

“But life is such a crazy trip. I don’t feel 40. I generally feel great.”