Mercedes “owe” Lewis Hamilton a great deal for everything he’s done for the side, according to Sky F1 presenter Simon Lazenby.
The build-up to Formula 1’s new season has been dominated by the news that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025.
It has been labelled as one of the biggest driver transfers in F1 history with Hamilton opting to team up with Charles Leclerc for a new challenge.
Many ex-Formula 1 drivers and pundits have weighed in on the situation and provided their thoughts – but what does the current grid think?
For some of the drivers, they expressed surprise at the news. Although he would have known the news prior to the announcement, outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz admitted he was taken aback when he was informed of the deicion by the team.
“It was a bit of a surprise – like to everyone in the F1 world – with the news,” said Sainz. “Everyone was surprised in a way with what happened and from my side, I got to know the news a bit earlier than everyone else.”
Alexander Albon, who is being listed as a potential replacement for Hamilton, was also amazed by the news.
Williams team-mate Logan Sargeant added: “I was surprised, I was shocked. It shows Lewis can go wherever he wants. If that’s what he feels like will really motivate him to keep improving and ultimately try to win another World Championship, you have to respect and understand the decision.”
Zhou Guanyu, who shares a management figure with Hamilton in Marc Hynes, stated he was in the know prior to the announcement – but was still stunned by the news.
