British Formula 1 driving ace Lewis Hamilton says he's 'excited' about the 'fresh challenge' of joining the Mercedes team. The announcement of his move today comes after weeks of speculation about him jumping ship. From next season he'll join the team on a 3-year-deal. It's a controversial move though because it might mean curtains for seven-times World Champion, Michael Schumacher, who'll have to decide if he'll move on elsewhere or go back into retirement.

In a statement Hamilton said "Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share. Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world championships."

Mexican driver Sergio Perez from Sauber team has been confirmed as Hamilton's replacement at McLaren, where he'll become Brit Jenson Button's new team mate. At just 22 years old Perez has been one of the revelations of the season with three podium finishes in 14 races for the Swiss-based team including second places in Malaysia and Italy.