Hamilton to Ferrari: Marko Hails Move for F1

Marko lauds Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari, boosting F1’s allure as he is the sport’s most successful driver.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, disclosed his surprise upon learning that Lewis Hamilton had decided to leave Mercedes F1 for Ferrari in 2025. The timing of the announcement also caught the Austrian off-guard, prompting earlier negotiations for next year’s contracts.

“There were rumors, mostly in the winter, because there are no races,” Marko told Grandprix247. “But when it was officially announced, I heard a day before it was public, and I was truly astonished.”

“However, on the other hand, for Formula 1, it’s very good. He is the most successful driver in history, and for Ferrari, their stock price increased. Thus, you see the impact on marketing and finance.”

“What happens is that usually, we start discussing next year’s drivers around July or August, and the fact that Hamilton has moved so early means everything was done sooner. Most contracts are already settled, but we will see, it will certainly be interesting.”

Vettel or Verstappen? Marko gives his verdict.

Marko also compared Red Bull’s top two drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen: “Each driver is different, and we don’t really compare them, but Seb is a driver who delves into the minutest details and needs a lot of technical feedback before he can be fast.”

“Once he has everything under control, he delivers results. Max is a more natural driver. He jumps into the car and is quick. Max only thinks about racing. You know, after a Grand Prix, he’s straight into his simulator seat, which is hard for me to understand, but he enjoys it.”

“He is also very keen on sports. Max knows a lot about football, he’s completely focused on the world of sports and sports personalities. Seb and Max both have their own opinions and are not afraid to voice them.”

“Seb, like Max, just wants the best car and lives his own life. But Max’s commitment is incredible. The biggest advantage with Max is that he doesn’t need any warm-up.”

Verstappen has proven himself on track

The former driver and Le Mans 24 Hours winner recounted the first time Verstappen took part in an official Formula 1 session: “Then came the day we had Max drive on the Friday at Suzuka, one of the fastest and most challenging circuits on the F1 calendar.”

“Some of our detractors thought we were criminals. Max got in the car and took the 130R flat out, after just about four laps. He clocked a very competitive time and didn’t put a foot wrong. From there on, the criticism continued, but it was much less.”

Conversely, he holds a disappointed memory of Pierre Gasly’s tenure at Red Bull: “I regret that it didn’t work out. When he was overtaken in Budapest, he wanted a different suspension. He’s not an engineer. He was running out of excuses and simply couldn’t accept that Max was faster than him.”