Lando Norris had a blunt response to Lewis Hamilton’s much-anticipated Ferrari move. The McLaren driver felt Hamilton’s departure felt like a farewell the way he was treated of late.
Snubbing it, he clarified that his compatriot was just moving to another team within the sport, and was not retiring.
Hamilton parted ways with Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season. Even though he had a one-plus-one-year contract with him, his decision to move away from Brackley shocked many, including the team principal, Toto Wolff.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has a noteworthy dynamic – On one hand, he is breaking away from the most successful driver-team combination in F1. On the other hand, Hamilton, as the most successful F1 driver is joining the most successful F1 team in the sport.
Amid the hype around his Mercedes departure and the farewell message from the Silver Arrows, Norris intervened with a blunt verdict. As per ESPN, the McLaren star said,
“I feel like everyone is wishing him a farewell from Formula 1, but he’s just going to another team.”
Hamilton arrived at the Silver Arrows from McLaren in 2013 and spent 12 years with the team. In these 12 seasons, he claimed six of his seven world titles, 84 race wins, 78 pole positions, and 153 podiums.
Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz, who moved to Williams at the end of 2024. He will join his former F2 team boss Fred Vasseur, and race alongside Charles Leclerc from 2025 onwards.
Lewis Hamilton let his feelings known amid Lando Norris’ response
While for Norris, Lewis Hamilton’s move from Mercedes to Ferrari was ‘just moving to another team’, it was certainly not the case for the seven-time world champion. Hamilton was significantly involved emotionally while parting ways with the Silver Arrows.
Here’s what he had to say after his final race weekend with Mercedes (via Guardian):
“When I stopped the car I just wanted to embrace the moment, because it’s the last time I’m going to step into a Mercedes and represent them, it’s been the greatest honor of my life,” he said.
“I mean every moment that I’ve got in the car this week, I’ve known that it’s one of the last and it’s been really hard to let go. I’m proud of every race, every pole position, every win we’ve had together, every championship, so when I knelt next to it I was just giving thanks, firstly thanking my own spirit for continuing to push, thanking everyone that powered and built that car. I’m proud of everyone,” Hamilton added.
McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (4) of the United Kingdom chases Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of the United Kingdom – Source: Getty Images
McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (4) of the United Kingdom chases Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver Lewis Hamilton (44) of the United Kingdom – Source: Getty Images
McLaren beat Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship this year by just 14 points. It will be interesting to see how Lewis Hamilton takes charge for Ferrari to turn the table against Lando Norris’ McLaren next season.
Edited by Shirsh
