How Verstappen reacted to the news of Lewis Hamilton swapping Mercedes for Ferrari.
The news that Lewis Hamilton will be switching from Mercedes to Ferrari to take Carlos Sainz Jr.’s position earlier this month sent shockwaves across the Formula One community.
Hamilton will only play one more season with the Mercedes team before joining the Prancing Horse and partnering with Charles Leclerc. Hamilton signed a two-year contract with Mercedes just last year, and it will expire at the end of 2025.
Red Bull’s response against Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton
How Max Verstappen responded to the news was disclosed by Helmut Marko.
Max Verstappen, Hamilton’s main competitor, hasn’t commented on the story or responded to it publicly, although Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently disclosed Verstappen’s thoughts on it. Marko stated in an interview with OE24: “He was just amused.”
Hamilton claimed that he made the choice to join Ferrari in order to realise a “childhood dream.” But Marko believes the Brit’s decision may have been predetermined for him by Mercedes’s deterioration in recent years: “That really surprised me too.” An athletic marvel, particularly in terms of timing. It’s curious how this came to be.
In an instance such as this, your thoughts are typically more on the new team. He is not allowed to participate in any significant innovations by the current team because he would undoubtedly take them with him. It’s better than Netflix all around for sports fans.”
Hamilton attended the Mercedes 2024 vehicle introduction.
Attending Mercedes’s new W15 challenger introduction on Wednesday, Hamilton talked about his feelings upon returning to their Brackley facility, adding, “It’s been emotional, no doubt about it. Having joined the team in 2013, I’ve been here for 11 years now, and I’m about to start my 12th. Working with a bunch of people whose effort is evident throughout the winter months makes this place feel quite unreal.
“Over the past few years, we have gone through this process. At the start of the year, you witness an automobile being assembled. Really, it’s the most thrilling portion of the season.”
Despite the recent difficulties, Hamilton hopes to leave Mercedes on a positive note by saying, “The lessons learned over the last two years have helped us find our direction.” It has helped us locate our north star. Although there is still much to be done, we will approach any obstacles head-on, have an open mind, and work hard to overcome them.”
Toto Wolff, the principal of the Mercedes team, has stated that the team needs to change in order to have any chance of stopping Verstappen from winning the drivers’ championship four times in a row: “It stings, and it sticks, as they say. In some ways, I think the last two years have been essential for us to reset, recalibrate, and recreate ourselves.
No sports team in history has taken home every title they have competed in. That’s just the truth. I believe that we went above and beyond, but we also anticipated that things would eventually get harder. That’s precisely what transpired in 2022 and 2023. However, it also implies that you must adapt without erasing all of the positive aspects of the team. Preserving the positive aspects while focusing on areas that require improvement is the goal.
It’s never easy to take that root-and-branch approach. However, we’ve made headway and are eager to move forward with the W15. Although the route won’t be straight, we’ll pick ourselves up after falling and start going.”