F1 News

How Hamilton moving to Ferrari has affected the drivers' market

How does Hamilton's early transfer influence other drivers

2 June at 12:00
  • Sophia Crothall

Since the announcement in February 2024 that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes in favour for Ferrari, the drivers market has been in turmoil. First, the question came of where Carlos Sainz would go, and then who would replace Hamilton at Mercedes. With many drivers' contracts expiring at the end of the season, it seems the ripple effect of the big move is in full force. 

Following the Hamilton announcement, Nico Hulkenberg shared that he would be leaving Haas for Sauber, and Alex Albon announced he had extended his contract with Williams. Aside from this, little is known about many of the other drivers' futures. Nevertheless, it is clear that they are having to make decisions earlier than anticipated in order to secure their future for 2025.

The Hamilton effect 

Speaking to GPblog and others in the Monaco paddock, Guanyu Zhou is one of the many drivers looking to find a seat for next season. When asked how Hamilton's announcement has affected him, he responded: "What Lewis did just makes probably people like Carlos a bit more complicated. This season, with how many seats available, it's always the case you have to be talking to people earlier. If you're too late or if you just have one option I think you end up running out of time, running out of different ideas. You're kind of getting stuck."

"Here remains still one of the options. But also I'm looking at what's the best for my future," the Sauber driver added. "I don't want to be the guy who is waiting for the final confirmation on the seats because obviously the last few years it’s a different situation. This year, I want to be the guy who is trying to make this decision, making things done quicker than the others."

Like Zhou, his teammate, Valtteri Bottas' future is also uncertain. He was recently spotted leaving the Williams' motorhome after a rumoured discussion with team principal James Vowles. We are expected to know an update on the Finn's future in the next few weeks.