Helmut Marko sees Lewis Hamilton’s astonishing move to Ferrari for 2025 as having no impact on Red Bull but the Austrian reckons it will weaken Mercedes.
Hamilton’s transfer to Maranello, dubbed the biggest driver switch in F1 history, will mark the end of a 12-year reign at Mercedes for the Briton, a prolific period that yielded 82 wins and six world titles.
However, the past two seasons have painted a different picture for the 39-year-old legend. Mercedes’ engineering misstep under F1’s new ground effect regulations positioned the former championship winning team squarely on the back foot.
In 44 races, Mercedes claimed but a single win, courtesy of George Russell’s efforts in Brazil in 2022.
With the twilight of his career on the horizon, 2025 becomes Hamilton's last shot at achieving the seemingly impossible: bringing the F1 title back to the House of Maranello and securing a record eighth Drivers’ championship.
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The news two weeks ago of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari set F1 alight and astonished many, including Marko.
"That took me completely by surprise, especially the timing," he told Austria's OE24."You wonder how it could have happened.
“Mercedes was overtaken by Ferrari in the second half of the 2023 season and McLaren was also faster. Perhaps Hamilton has realized something that the outside world does not yet know."
While Hamilton’s transfer is a veritable coup for Ferrari, Marko reckons the sensational move will have no bearing on Red Bull. But it’s setback for Mercedes according to the 80-year-old.
"It doesn't change anything for us, but I do see it as a weakening for Mercedes," said Marko. "And whether it makes Ferrari stronger remains to be seen.
“Overall, it has an incredible effect, right down to the share prices. It's great that something is happening."
Marko notes that Hamilton’s interaction this season with Mercedes on race weekends is likely to be very different than in the past.
"Normally in such a situation you already think more about the new team," he explained. “The current team [Mercedes] can no longer involve him in major innovations to the car, because of course he would take it with him [to Ferrari].
“For the sport it's great, better than Netflix!”
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