Lewis Hamilton 'really surprised' Helmut Marko as Red Bull chief bigs up Brit
Helmut Marko has weighed in on Lewis Hamilton's impending move to Ferrari.
Helmut Marko has admitted that he was 'really surprised' to hear Lewis Hamilton had decided to leave Mercedes and sign with Ferrari for 2025. The seven-time world champion activated a break clause in his Mercedes contract before the start of the season, allowing him to depart a year ahead of schedule.
Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc at Ferrari from next season onwards, having signed a multi-year deal with the Italian outfit. It will see him leave Mercedes after 11 years on their books, bringing an end to the most successful driver-team partnership in F1 history.
Hamilton's decision to join Ferrari was an unexpected one and Marko was among those left surprised by the news when it was announced. However, the Red Bull advisor believes it will be a good thing for the sport, with the switch likely to drive up interest in F1 ahead of next season.
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"There had been rumours but especially in the winter, there are a lot of rumours because no racing is going on," Marko told grandprix247.com. "But when it was officially announced, I heard it one day before it was announced, I was really surprised.
"On the other hand, for Formula One, it’s very good. This is the most successful driver we have in history, and together with Ferrari, the share price went up so you see the effect on the marketing and on the money side.
"What happens is normally you start around July or August to talk about drivers for next year, and Hamilton moving so early means everything was earlier. Most of the deals are already done but we will see. It will definitely be interesting."
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It remains to be seen how Hamilton will get on at Ferrari, who will be desperate to provide him with a record-breaking eighth Drivers' Championship title. He secured his first victory since 2021 at Silverstone last weekend, edging out Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to take the chequered flag.
Hamilton has said that he will be achieving a 'childhood dream' by joining Ferrari, but Mercedes trackside engineering director James Allison believes it could be difficult for him because he will be stepping into an environment that he is not used to.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Beyond The Grid podcast, Allison said: "He’ll get a sense of the spirit and passion of that team. I think, initially, it might get tricky. At Ferrari, the Ferrari is the star.
"I think every driver who’s driven there, at some level or other, has had to come to terms with that. If Lewis actually embraces that and loves it in the way that Michael [Schumacher] did, then there’s space for both to be great. If he doesn’t, then I think the brand and the Ferrari will always dominate."