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.

Ha꧂milton’s bombshell decision to join Ferrari from 2025 sent shockwaves through the F1 pad𝔍dock and has blown the driver market wide open, leaving an unexpected vacancy at Mercedes.

The move had beeꩲn rumoured ꦅfor several months and was reported extensively in the days leading up to the official announcement. 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🍎 th𒐪ink drivers talk too much about it. Maybe drivers do. I don’t, 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 spoke𓆏 to was George, jus🐻t to see if the Lewis thing was real or not!

"At the beginning of the rumours Iไ thought there was no way it could end up being a real thi🃏ng, but obviously it ended up being. So that was the only time.”

Bu♒t Albon attempts to gather inside information from Russell fa🌊iled.

“He didn’t reply to me 🧔until it got🐷 announced!” 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 believe﷽s the upcomiꩲng 2026 regulation overhaul has prompted teams to get their driver line-ups sorted early.

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

“You can see that obvious🌺ly with Max’s contract, Charles’ contract, Lewis doing his deal so early in the year.

“2026 mo🍸re than ever, even when I think about the regulation changes in 2014, 2017, I wasn’t a part of those conversati﷽ons as I was in 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 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 many teams will be scrambling to secure the Spaniard's services♐.

"I think if you are any team, Carlos wo🔜uld be a driver you would be inte💮rested in. The same would apply to Fernando [Alonso],” Albon said.

“In the press con💎ference [on Thursday] he was having different ideas totally about retiring. Not sure if I believe that! But there is interest. There’sඣ a few teams that are clearly looking for drivers.

“I think as well, part 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 a🌜lready inside the paddock.

“I think the steps now ꦍfor rookies are much bigger than t🌟hey 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.”