Shockwaves were sent through the world of Formula One earlier this month when it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes and joining Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz Jr in 2025
Hamilton had signed a two-year deal at Mercedes just last year, which is set to expire at the end of this season; however, he will spend just one more season with the Mercedes team before joining the Prancing Horse, pairing up with Charles Leclerc.
Helmut Marko, the current director of Red Bull, has revealed how Max Verstappen reacted to the news. Although he hasn't reacted publicly to the news or spoken about it himself, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has recently revealed Hamilton's biggest rival Max Verstappen's reaction to the news. In an interview with OE24, Marko said:"He was just amused."
Hamilton said the decision to join Ferrari was to fulfil a 'childhood dream' of his. Marko, however, thinks that the Mercedes decline over the last few years may have made the Brit's mind up for him: "That completely surprised me too. A sporting sensation, especially the timing. One wonders how this came about.
"Mercedes was overtaken by Ferrari in the second half of 2023, and McLaren was also faster. Maybe Hamilton noticed something that the outside world doesn't yet know. That doesn't change anything for us, except that I see it as weakening Mercedes. Whether it strengthens Ferrari remains to be seen. Overall, this has an incredible impact, right down to the stock market prices. It's great that something is happening.
"Normally, in a situation like this, your mind is already more focused on the new team. The current team cannot let him take part in any serious innovations because he would, of course, take them with him. The whole thing is excellent for sports, better than Netflix."
Hamilton was at the Mercedes launch of their new W15 challenger on Wednesday, and he described how it felt to return to their Brackley base, saying: "It's obviously been emotional. It's very surreal to be here given I came here in 2013, so 11 years with the team, starting my 12th, and it is such a privilege to work with a group of people where you see the work they're doing
"We have gone through this process over the last couple of years. You see a car come together at the beginning of the year. It's the most exciting part of the season, really."
"The learnings of the past two years have helped us find our direction. It's enabled us to find our north star. It's still going to be a work in progress, but we will face whatever challenges present themselves with our heads up with open minds, and work through diligently," he concluded.