Sir Lewis Hamilton shocked everyone, including his good friend and rival Sebastian Vettel, when he announced his move to Ferrari. After all, this move means the end of an epic collaboration between Mercedes and the most successful racer in F1 history. He has been part of the Silver Arrows for over 11 years. Moreover, he was the key component that helped change the fortunes of Mercedes in the last decade. Hamilton and Toto Wolff joined the German team in 2013. And the rest is truly a remarkable part of F1 history. Since the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have been at the top of the grid. This partnership ended the domination of Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull.
After winning four back-to-back titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, Vettel finished at P5 in 2014. Later, the German great joined Ferrari, following the footsteps of his childhood hero Michael Schumacher, and started racing for the iconic team in 2015. However, he could not win any more championships as Mercedes and Hamilton had enjoyed their hegemony for over eight years. Since the history between the German team and the great Briton goes a long way, it is hard to digest that he won’t race for them the following year. That’s why even Vettel’s initial reaction was “That can’t be true.”
It Was Hard For Sebastian Vettel To Believe That Lewis Hamilton Will Leave Mercedes To Join Ferrari
Recently, in an interview with Sky Sports Germany, according to F1 Maximaal, Sebastian Vettel said he was very skeptical about the news initially. He just did not think it could be true. Later, Seb told Sport.de that he thought another report would come from somewhere possibly. But then eventually, Lewis Hamilton confirmed his move to Ferrari on Instagram. Later, the four-time champion said he congratulated his long-time rival cum friend via text. But Seb also said what surprised him the most. He mentioned that Hamilton had such a deep connection with Mercedes over the years. That really made it hard to believe for fans as well the German great.
According to a recent interview Sebastian Vettel wrote Lewis Hamilton and congratulated him on his move to Ferrari🥹 pic.twitter.com/U0UAUZ497U
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) March 28, 2024
#F1 | Will Buxton calls Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari ‘the biggest driver signing in F1 history. By some measure’ 👇🏽
— deni (@fiagirly) February 5, 2024
“We’ve seen big-name moves before, of course, but few come close to being quite this meaningful.”
“This is different. This is the most successful driver in… pic.twitter.com/SAQNOwHuR8
About Hamilton’s move to Maranello, former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said it looks like the seven-time champion is making the right decision. It was a perfect decision to join Mercedes in 2013 when Hamilton left McLaren. However, Steiner feels at the end of the day, it is about a new challenge. Steiner thinks after winning six titles in 11 years, Hamilton might be looking for a new challenge. Moreover, the former Haas boss claimed that with 2026 regulation changes, Lewis Hamilton can win his eighth title wearing Ferrari colors “With a bit of luck.”
Will Vettel Return To F1, Replacing Hamilton At Mercedes?
The Silver Arrows have been looking for a possible suitable option for the replacement of Lewis Hamilton. Who will be George Russell’s new teammate at Mercedes? Perhaps Toto Wolff is looking for a former World Champion to replace the most successful racer in the sport. Fernando Alonso has been in the running for a while. Moreover, Max Verstappen can too join Mercedes if the internal problems of Red Bull worsen.
On the other hand, Sebastian Vettel can make a surprising comeback to the sport. Lately, as per The Sun, Vettel confirmed that he has no intentions to join the Silver Arrows. However, he told BILD that he still has an interest in and loves to follow the sport. But for the German great there’s a lot going on at present – on and off the track. However, F1 is not an issue for Vettel “At the moment.”
Stay tuned with Sports News Internstional for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.
