168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Albon has shared an amusing story of how he unsuccessfully tried to find out from 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell if 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move was really happening.

Hamilton’s bombshell decision to join Ferrari from 202ꦕ5 sent shockwaves through the F1 🎉paddock and has blown the driver market wide open, leaving an unexpected vacancy at Mercedes.

The move had been rumoured for several months and was reported extensively in the days leading up to the official announcement. Like ♋many, Albon doubted whether the story was tru༺e.

Speaking exclusively to 💝aﷺt the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Albon revealed he texted Hamilton’s teammate and his close friend Russell to see if it was really happening.

“I don’t think drivers talk too much about it. Maybe drivers do. I don’t🐠ജ, but maybe the others do,” the Williams driver said when asked if Hamilton’s shock Ferrari switch had got the drivers talking.

“I would say the only one I really 🐟sp꧑oke to was George, just to see if the Lewis thing was real or not!

"At the beginning of the rumours I thought there was no way it could end up being a real thing, but obviously it ended up being. So t🐻hat was the only time.”

But A♛lbon attempts to gather inside information from Russell failed.

“He didn’t rep🥃ly to me until it got announced!൩” Albon added.

Hamilton’s Ferrari move was the third deal to be confirmed over the winter, following long-term extensions for McLaren’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris and Ferrari’s168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Charles Leclerc.

Albon believes the upcoming 2026 regulation overhaul has prompted teams to get their dr🎃iver line-ups sorted🍎 early.

“I would say that the effects of the reওgulation change, I do think there’s been quite a🎃 strong push for teams to get their drivers in quite early,” Albon said.

“You can see that obviou𝔍sly with Max’s contract, Charles’ contract, Lewis doing hꦑis deal so early in the year.

“2026 more than ever, even when I think about the regulation changes in 2014, 2017, I wasn’t a part of those conversations as I was in junior ﷺformulas, but they sܫeem quite early this year.

“The whole Lewis thing has definitely exciteℱd the driver🍸 market, I’m not going to lie on that side.

“I fe🍃el like there is an urgency for teams to get their drivers in place, the ones that they obviously believe in. The paddock is talking right now.”

The most direct knock-on impact of Hamilton’s move is that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz has been left without a seat for 2025.

Albon reckons man꧋♐y teams will be scrambling to secure the Spaniard's services.

"I thin🥃k if you are any team, Ca🦩rlos would be a driver you would be interested in. The same would apply to Fernando [Alonso],” Albon said.

“In the pres♚s conf🦹erence [on Thursday] he was having different ideas totally about retiring. Not sure if I believe that! But there is interest. There’s a few teams that are clearly looking for drivers.

“I think as well, pওart of it, is how little testing there is in Formula 1 and how tricky it is for rookies right now. It seems like teams are more happy to settle with what’s already inside the paddock.

“I think the steps now for rookies are much bigger than they used to be. The cars are quite difficult to drive. They are not that easy to get righ🍨t, so there’s this ongoing buzz about what’s inside the p⛦addock already.”