Hamilton's move to Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season has been officially confirmed, and this is undoubtedly the biggest news for the Formula 1 driver market since the beginning of the 21st century.
The shockwaves generated by this transfer inevitably mean that someone will benefit from it, but others will obviously be the losers. The Race's reporters will use their perspectives to help sort out the winners and losers of this transfer.
Winners
1.Ferrari
An announcement seems to confirm what F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel has become more and more classic"Everybody is a Ferrari fan. ”
Although Ferrari was overshadowed by Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship last year, although Ferrari has not had a chance to compete for a World Championship in the final stage of the F1 season since 2012, and although Ferrari has not won the F1 World Championship since 2008. But Ferrari is Ferrari after all, and the team still has the ability to make the great F1 drivers feel that wearing a red car suit in F1 is something they have to do.
In fact, Ferrari has no 100% need to urgently complete the transfer of Sainz. But Ferrari's willingness to change has not only changed the landscape of the F1 driver market, but has also created a pair of F1 drivers who have come closest to becoming a dream team in a long time. Frankly, apart from other factors, Ferrari's decision was extremely flexible.
2.George Russell
I don't think Russell and Hamilton really don't fit in or work together, at least I don't see any clear evidence that this is happening. But it is undeniable that two years after being promoted to Mercedes and playing alongside Hamilton, Russell never had a chance to shake off the label of "successor".
Now, after Hamilton's abrupt parting of the ways left Mercedes stunned, Russell is the driver they can trust. Satisfying Russell's driving style and requirements this season is more important than developing this year's or even 2025 car.
Of course, Mercedes can also follow the gourd and help Russell find a replacement for Hamilton. But unless the replacement is enough to evoke reverie, such as Alonso, who currently plays for Aston Martin. But whoever fills the team for the time being won't have Russell's resume and reputation at Mercedes, let alone the extent of integration with Mercedes.
3.Andrea Kimi Antonelli
In any case, the availability of seats is good news for Antonelli for the time being.
The 17-year-old prodigy from Italy is also widely regarded as the most promising driver on the current path to F1. Mercedes themselves admit this to some extent, as they included Antonelli in the academy when he was still in karting. After a strong performance in the lower divisions, Mercedes directly let him skip F3 this year and move up to F2. "Another Kimi" is obviously growing faster than most people expect.
Antonelli is full of praise and his future in F1 seems a foregone conclusion. But as long as Russell and Hamilton stay with the team, it means that Antonelli's path into the cockpit of a Mercedes F1 car will be less smooth.
But now, Mercedes doesn't have to make a trade-off between Hamilton and Antonelli. As you can imagine, Mercedes will always take Antonelli into account as they continue to renew their contract with Hamilton.
4. f1
The fact that one of F1's most recognizable drivers has joined one of its most iconic teams is a clear win for F1 itself.
It's the icing on the cake for F1 in the midst of a booming era, but it's also a transfer that has been enough to overshadow the most important news in the driver market for more than a decade – even more than Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari. If you're a fan new to the F1 family, Hamilton's move is the equivalent of Prost to Ferrari, Senna to Williams or even Alonso to McLaren.
Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari also dispelled fears that the driver transfer market was too quiet. F1 needs a dynamic of "making waves" in the driver market, and they're definitely going to make a big deal out of it.
What you may not realize is that this transfer also allowed everyone to quickly use this lively atmosphere to sweep away the negative energy from shortly after Andretti's PR nightmare 1 day ago.
5.Frederick Vassell
On paper, Vassell's results do not have a clear advantage over the Binotto period. Although in terms of trends and the actual impact of the two leaders on the car's performance, many people will have different opinions on the previous conclusions.
But from the driver's point of view, facilitating Hamilton's move was another major victory for Vassell.
We all know that Leclerc's continued trust in Vassell led him to renew his contract with Ferrari, thanks to Leclerc's successful partnership with Vassell's ART team during his time in GP3 (now F3). But in fact, Vassell and Hamilton also had a more successful history of working together.
Hamilton won the European F3 Series with Vassell's team in 2005 and the GP2 (now F2) championship a year later. I believe this experience will also help the two to work better together.
In addition, the top drivers in the F1 paddock now seem to have a good impression of Vassell and have a lot of trust.
6.Audi
Hamilton's decision doesn't change the list of potential drivers that the Audi team will be recruiting in the futureBut it may actually be Audi's wishful thinking
Drivers including Ocon and Hawkenberg are considered likely to be recruited by Audi and are certainly a good choice. But at least in recent years, Sainz is definitely the better choice, and Audi will be interested in Sainz anyway. Now, Audi doesn't have to find a way to compete with Ferrari anymore.
Of course, Mercedes will certainly be one of Audi's competitors to recruit Sainz, but the former will certainly not be able to offer Sainz the status of No. 1 driver and the long-term contract he wants, as Audi does.
Loser
1.Carlos Sainz
For Sainz, he doesn't have to worry about his future work, after all, he will wait for the arrival of suitors.
Audi, Aston Martin and Mercedes are sure to offer an initial contract to the driver who has proven himself to be within half a step of Leclerc. Even given that Sainz is currently a big fish in the 2025 driver market, Red Bull Racing, which is considering replacing Pérez, may have some ideas.
But before that, Sainz still has to finish the full season for Ferrari. And every day of the season, Sainz will realise that the team he has put so much effort into before doesn't actually want him.
It's quite an ordeal to think that he has 24 races to run this year, and to have to go through the gruering of the journey and the endless simulations and debriefings with a team that has no future for him.
The last driver to have a similar experience to Sainz (2020) was completely defeated by Leclerc that season. But in order to maintain his value in the drivers' market, even as his Ferrari chapter comes to an end, Sainz must remain focused and put in a good performance.
2.Charles Leclerc
Leclerc has reason to believe he can compete with Hamilton. After all, compared to Hamilton, who is getting older and inevitably declining in competitiveness, Leclerc is in his prime.
But Ferrari's signing was not meant for Hamilton to back Leclerc, and Hamilton could have a much greater influence within Ferrari than Sainz or someone else who could replace him.
Things will depend on how Leclerc works with Hamilton and, of course, on the performance of the Ferrari car. For a driver who has signed a multi-year contract and wants to be at the heart of the team's building for some time to come, this move may be a minor matter, but it can also be a major headache for him.
3.Mercedes Racing Team
Mercedes themselves are in a difficult period of transition and they will struggle to find a replacement for Hamilton.
Hamilton's previous majesty and hands-on leadership with the team is a quality that is difficult for other drivers to possess, and Mercedes can't guarantee that a potential rising star like Antonelli is ready to be promoted to a first-tier F1 team.
While the likes of Sainz and Albon have a chance to be good "** people", whether they can immediately do what Hamilton does is also in doubt for Mercedes.
Mercedes is likely to compromise the performance and leadership of its drivers for this move, and finding a replacement like Hamilton will be a daunting task, and it will likely take a long time to get back to the top.
But it's all just a fairy tale. While it is conceivable that Hamilton will not be playing for Mercedes forever, Mercedes had no idea that he would suddenly lose such a key figure who is irreplaceable in many ways.
4.The brand image of Mercedes
Any driver who chooses to turn their back on the team they are playing for and switch to another team while still part of their contract has not yet expiredIt's all a sign of distrust in the team he's in right now
In particular, a seven-time F1 Drivers' World Champion made such a decision, which was undoubtedly a catastrophic blow to Mercedes' team image. What's more, the transfer took place before Hamilton was in the cockpit of a Mercedes car this year.
The reason why Mercedes has become one of the top teams in Formula 1 is that Hamilton has played a significant role in both his achievements and influence. His departure caused some damage to Mercedes' reputation.
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