Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Lewis Hamilton dropped a bombshell on the F1 community when he decided to leave the Silver Arrows and join Ferrari. Although the news came out in early February, the loud noises it created can still be heard. Since then, people have kept analyzing this dramatic step by Hamilton. However, F1 experts of The Race have justified the Briton’s choice of the latest episode of  The Race F1 podcast.

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During their conversation, Ben Anderson, Edd Straw, and Glenn Freeman made it clear that Hamilton has ‘vindicated’ himself for quitting Mercedes following the latter’s persistent failure.

In response to Straw’s question on whether Mercedes’s troubles at least somewhat justified Hamilton’s decision to depart early, Freeman immediately says, ” Yes, it justifies his decision.”

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Later, Glenn Freeman said that Hamilton might feel immensely ‘vindicated’ about his decision to join Ferrari. This is because since last year Mercedes hasn’t developed to the extent they promise. This is evident with their new struggles coming up in the form of engine heating.

While Ferrari, on the other hand, seemed to have delivered on what they said they were gonna do. The Prancing Horse seems to be in much better control of their tire management. As a result of this, Vasseur claimed that they could catch the formidable Red Bull soon.

However, earlier, when Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes, it broke many fans’ hearts as they expected loyalty from the Briton, given his long connection with the team. However, the German team has given some tough times to Hamilton in the last two years.

Earlier in 2022, they struggled massively with porpoising issues. Later in 2023, the Silver Arrows went to an incorrect development route which refrained them from fighting at the front. Furthermore, the team didn’t value Hamilton’s input when he brought up the issues with the car.

Because of this, the Brackley-based team hasn’t been able to assist Hamilton in winning a single race during the last two years. Thus, a combination of these factors may have influenced his decision to join Ferrari.

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What happened following Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari announcement?

The driver’s market has come up for discussion since Lewis Hamilton announced his intention to join Ferrari. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell even discussed the scenario unraveling behind the scenes, as per a Twitter (now X) video.

The 25-year-old disclosed, “Seeing the drivers’ names pop up on the phone has been quite funny. And even on my phone, I’ve had a few phone calls and text messages.”

Interestingly, with Hamilton leaving, the team would want to fill the vacancy with an appropriate driver. While there have been whispers that Fernando Alonso spoke with Toto Wolff, there isn’t any hard proof to back up those claims. Regarding the other drivers, many experts tout Carlos Sainz, Mick Schumacher, and Kimi Antonelli to be in contention for the vacant Mercedes position.

However, amidst this, Max Verstappen was the driver who generated the most hype for Hamilton’s vacant seat. With just two years until the new engine regulations take effect, Toto Wolff would undoubtedly prefer a driver like him sitting in a Mercedes. In fact, Wolff has commented how he would love to have Max Verstappen on his team.

Before this, Max Verstappen was associated with Mercedes after Jos Verstappen publicly criticized Christian Horner amid his ongoing scandal. At that point, Sr. Verstappen stated that the Red Bull squad would be torn apart if Horner continued to lead them. Moreover, Jos Verstappen was also seen in a chat with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Ever since then, there has been speculation that Verstappen might join the vacant Mercedes spot.