Driving Brand Synergy: A Discourse-Historical Approach to Western Media Coverage of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Transfer

As one of the most accomplished drivers in Formula 1 history, Lewis Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in early 2024 is not only a turning point in his personal career but also the most talked-about business event in F1 in the past decade. Based on the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) perspective, the research examines the application of the “five discursive strategies” from 91 reports on Hamilton’s transfer in Western media between February 2024 and March 2025. Besides, the study employed the methodology of “four levels of contexts” to examine the ideology reflected in Western media narratives and to summarize the underlying factors — the commercialization trend of F1 and the resonance of drivers and teams’ brand power. The study provides inspiration for the interdisciplinary application of DHA in sports communication research and athlete discourse analysis.