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.

Hamilt♏on’s bombshell decision to join Ferrari from 2025 sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock ꦓand 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 an🌱nouncement. Like many, Albon doubted whether the story was true.

Speaking exclusively to at 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 driver♚s talk too much about it. Maybe drivers do. I don’t, but maybe the others do,” the Williams ꦚdriver said when asked if Hamilton’s shock Ferrari switch had got the drivers talking.

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

"At the beginning of the rumours I tho💞ught there was no way it could end up being a real thing, but obviously it ended up being. So that was the only time.”

But Albon attempts to🅰 gather inside information from Ru🍷ssell failed.

“He didn’t reply to me until it ꦓgot announced𒆙!” 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 ov𓂃erhaul has prompted teams to get their driver line-ups sorte👍d early.

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

“You can see that obviously with Max’s contract, Charles’ cont𒅌ract, Lewis doin🍰g his deal so early in the year.

“2026 more than ever, even when I think about the regulation change🔥s in 2014, 2017, I wasn’t a part of those conversations as I was iඣn junior formulas, but they seem quite early this year.

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

“I feel like t🦩here is an urgency for teams to get their driꦚvers 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 many teams will be scrambling to secure the Sℱp♊aniard's services.

"I think if you are any team, Carlos would be a driver yoಌu would be interested in. The same would apply to Fer🅷nando [Alonso],” Albon said.

“In the press conference [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, part of it, is how 🤪little testing th💛ere 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 th𒉰ey used to be. The cars are quite difficult to drive. They are not that easy to get right, so there’s this ongoing buzz about what’s inside the paddock already.”