The transfer of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari will continue to be discussed by upcoming generations. Indeed, from the F1 experts to the former F1 drivers, it appears that everyone has been willing to express their opinions about the Briton’s historic transfer. However, now, following a range of responses, Hamilton’s fierce on-track rival, Max Verstappen, has also opened up on his Ferrari move. In the process, though, the Dutchman has exposed Pierre Gasly, claiming that he was aware of the Briton’s move beforehand.
As quoted on X (former Twitter), Max Verstappen cited Pierre Gasly’s friendship with Charles Leclerc as the reason behind the Alpine driver not being surprised. He said, “Pierre is a good friend of Charles, so that’s why.”
Making the jump to Ferrari for the 2025 season was one of Hamilton’s major moves. Although his action astonished the entire F1 community, Pierre Gasly wasn’t taken aback. During the Alpine car unveiling, the Frenchman admitted to knowing about Hamilton’s discussion with Ferrari.
For the unaware, Gasly and Leclerc aren’t pals because of F1. They have been friends since their early days of karting, and in the 2010 French Karting Championship, they were teammates with Sodikart.
Moreover, the two-star drivers are frequently seen hanging out together. They attended the men’s doubles final at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco. The Monegasque also talked about his friendship with Gasly, calling him a good friend off the track. Following that, the pair was also seen in Paris promoting the NBA.
What did Max Verstappen say of Lewis Hamilton’s deal?
Since the 2021 season, Max Verstappen has emerged as Lewis Hamilton’s most formidable opponent. That year, the fight went so close that both had to compete on the last lap to determine the winner of the championship. Ever since, Verstappen has demonstrated unmatched dominance while Hamilton has failed to win a single Grand Prix.
Thus, knowing how desperate Hamilton has been to win, the reigning champion himself has justified his switch to Ferrari. While talking to Sky Sports F1, Verstappen said that he wasn’t surprised to hear about Hamilton’s blockbuster move. He elaborated, ” At the end of the day seeing him go to Ferrari is not a surprise. If that’s your goal as a kid or your dream then you go, right?”
Verstappen also said that Hamilton would now have some awkward moments in the Mercedes garage going forward. He justified this by saying that the team could no longer incorporate the Briton into everything, despite their great performance as a team.
However, Verstappen didn’t want to imply that Mercedes would no longer support and stand by Hamilton with these remarks. While concluding, Verstappen said, “It’s not like they are suddenly enemies or whatever. Once he is sitting in the car they will still go flat out for him to try and win races as well.”
