Verstappen influenced Wolff's decision? 'Signing a talent like Max'
F1 News
The blockbuster transfer that was announced early on 2024 will take place this year, in the '25 season. Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari from Mercedes, replacing Carlos Sainz. Former Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx sees that Toto Wolff made the right choice with choosing the Italian talent instead to replace the seven-time world champion.
After Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton will join following the fact Charles Leclerc also signed a contract extension, Carlos Sainz became a free agent. Yet, Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff opted to bring in Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead to replace the British driver. The Belgian also sees that drivers like Max Verstappen could prove that teams could bet on talents as he stated to Mundodeportivo.com. "The future belongs to young people. It's something I've learned. Before you needed experienced drivers, whereas now you can go with a young man, like Max, who already had the potential at 18. But I don't know how it went down [at Mercedes]."
In the end, Sainz joined James Vowles' team, Williams. "The only thing I can say is that it's sad that Sainz is leaving Ferrari, but you have to move on and you can't constantly think about what could have been and why it didn't happen. No. You have to be focused on what you have and do your best with what you have," Ickx continued.
What makes Hamilton stand out in F1?
The driver that began that domino effect was Hamilton. "Lewis is a 7-time world champion and the stars aligned for him. When he went to Mercedes he came back to the top with a good car. But don't forget that Lewis is a personality: he has all the records and for me he is twice as good, as a driver, but he is also the first one I see in motorsport involved in social media with social demands and he has not been afraid to do it and has started multiple activities for children," the Belgian explained what makes the seven-time champion stand out even more on the grid.
Hamilton has given a platform to many issues in the past, and the former Ferrari driver believes he will continue to do that. "And he will do more for Africa in the future, believe me. What I'm trying to explain when I say that there are many aspects that count in F1. The goal is to become a better person. That's what I learned in Dakar. Nelson Mandela said that 'I never lose. Sometimes I win and sometimes I learn.' And that's the reality. If you can learn, you have the right attitude," Ickx concludes.
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