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The Formula 1 paddock has responded to Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari for the first time.
The seven-time champion stunned the world of sport on February 1 with his decision to swap Mercedes silver for Ferrari red for 2025.
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The ground-breaking move ends F1’s most successful driver-team partnership, and sets the Brit up for potential mythology status if he wins a record-breaking eighth title with the Italian squad.
The story blew up sports media, and even the stock market as people threw their money behind F1’s most recognisable driver and brand, and now we know that his peers were just as shocked.
Speaking at Williams launch of their FW46 challenger, fellow English-born driver Alex Albon admitted he was as stunned as everyone else.
“It’s great for the sport,” he told talkSPORT and the gathered media. “What a news story it was.
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“I definitely didn’t see it coming but good for him, I think he wants that change-up.
“It just shows you how big Lewis is, seeing the stock of Ferrari going up and the general perception of the news, it was one of those pinch yourself moments.
“There are so many rumours going around over winter and you don’t know what has any credibility and the Ferrari one definitely seemed to be a rumour to me until it turned out to be a real thing.
“It reminds me of the [Lionel] Messi to [Inter] Miami transfer, on such a huge scale and it shows you the appetite for F1 and opens a lot of questions in the driver market.”
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Albon’s Williams teammate Logan Sargeant said he expects the move to make 2024 ‘even crazier’ while team principal James Vowles gave an even closer insight.
Vowles was part of Hamilton’s unprecedented success at Mercedes as their lead strategist, and said he was aware the move may come at some point, but not now.
“The timing came as a surprise to me,” Vowles said. “His want and desire to be in a Ferrari at some point in his career, no [it didn’t surprise me].
“I think most world champions have either been there or had a desire to be there because it’s a force of nature, it’s still the most successful team in Formula 1. That can’t be ignored.
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“It’s the hardest thing you can do for every human in the world, to move from where you’re comfortable to where you’re not, challenges you and pushes you to your limit, and that’s Lewis all over.
“The fact he’s doing it, I think it’s good for the sport and it’s good for Lewis and he’ll learn from it, he’ll challenge himself.
“It’s not good for Mercedes short-term but they’ll be fine with where they get to on drivers and they’ll come back strong as a result. Ultimately it’s a good thing all round.”
