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FORMULA 1

Huge Ferrari announcement that will have major impact on Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is ‘imminent’

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Ferrari could be set to make a huge signing announcement that could reshape the landscape of Formula 1 for years to come.

The Italian team have already made a major signing in 2024, as they announced that Lewis Hamilton would be joining Charles Leclerc as their driver lineup for 2025 onwards, with Carlos Sainz being released.

Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton backs Max Verstappen will pass race wins record

Hamilton and Leclerc joining forces will be one of the strongest lineups in the history of the sport, but team principal Fred Vasseur could be set to make an even bigger signing in the coming days/weeks.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vasseur has met with departing Red Bull chief engineer Adrian Newey ahead of move to Ferrari.

The report reads: “Fred Vasseur has met with Adrian Newey in London and it is likely that Newey will be joining Scuderia Ferrari. An official announcement is imminent. He may start working for the team as soon as 2025 in preparations for the 2026 regulations.”

Hamilton: Verstappen can break my wins record but 'I'm working on slowing him' · RaceFans

Newey is arguably the most influential man in all of F1, having designed the most dominant car in F1 history last year for Red Bull, and his 2024 car appears to be just as far ahead as last season.

With new regulations set for 2026, Newey’s departure is a disaster for Red Bull as they will have to significantly change their car design without the genius of the legendary designer.

This could also push Max Verstappen out of the team, with Mercedes set to offer the world champion a ‘world record contract’ to replace Hamilton.

Red Bull announced Newey would be leaving the team on Wednesday morning following growing speculation the 65-year-old would be joining Ferrari.

Adrian Newey- Getty

The team released the following statement: “The Team announces that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey will leave the Red Bull Technology Group in the first quarter of 2025.

“The engineering supremo will step back from Formula 1 design duties to focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17.

“He will remain involved in and committed to this exciting project until its completion. We’d like to thank Adrian for our achievements in the time that we have worked together so far. He has been instrumental for us in achieving a remarkable seven Formula One Drivers’ and six Constructors’ Championship titles – totaling 118 victories and 101 poles including the STR 2007 pole and victory,” They concluded.

Newey also is expected to have interest from the likes of Aston Martin and McLaren, but Ferrari remain the firm favourites to land the Brit’s signature.

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FORMULA 1

Lewis Hamilton could bring Mercedes staff member with him to Ferrari as ‘terms agreed’

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One Mercedes employee could be about to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps towards Maranello.

A key Mercedes staff member is reportedly in talks to follow Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari from the beginning of the 2025 season.

Hamilton shocked the F1 world by signing a multi-year contract with the Scuderia in January, in a move which will see him team up with Charles Leclerc at the Italian team from 2025.

He agreed a new two-year contract with Mercedes last year, but it was revealed that the second year was only an optional extension that the seven-time world champion could choose not to exercise.

Mercedes are thus far yet to announce Hamilton’s replacement, with Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz among those linked with taking the soon-to-be vacant role.

PlanetF1 reported that Hamilton’s Ferrari contract contains a ‘no-poaching clause’, which means the Englishman cannot directly approach members of his own team to join him at the Scuderia.

While the Silver Arrows have not confirmed this publicly, a source told PlanetF1 that the existence of the clause was ‘accurate’.

However, such a clause doesn’t entirely stop a Mercedes team member moving across to Maranello – and it is claimed that one significant figure is close to completing a move in that direction.

According to Motorsport.nextgen-auto.com, sources claim that Mercedes driver development director Jerome d’Ambrosio has been in talks with the Scuderia over potentially joining the team in 2025.

It is also claimed that ‘terms have been agreed’ on a deal that would see d’Ambrosio join the team after completing a period of gardening leave.

D’Ambrosio is a former F1 driver, having raced for the Marussia Virgin Racing team in the 2011 season. He also deputised for Romain Grosjean at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix after the Frenchman received a one-race ban.

After retiring, the Belgian became team principal of Formula E team Venturi Racing before taking up his post at Mercedes.

Last season, D’Ambrosio filled the duties of regular team principal Toto Wolff at two Grands Prix after the Austrian was forced to undergo knee surgery.

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FORMULA 1

Lewis Hamilton blow as RB20 driver makes formidable F1 2024 prediction

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Lewis Hamilton has been told to forget about challenging for the F1 2024 title, with Red Bull simulator Jake Dennis warning it could be another “dull season” dominated by Max Verstappen.

Red Bull enjoyed the most dominant season in F1 history in 2023 as Verstappen eased to a third consecutive World Championship with a record 19 victories from 22 races.

Verstappen has won 44 of the last 66 races stretching back to the start of his maiden title-winning campaign in 2021, with Hamilton without a victory since the penultimate round of that season in Saudi Arabia.

Lewis Hamilton told to forget about challenging Red Bull
Despite suffering their first winless season since 2011 last year. Mercedes remain hopeful of returning to title-winning contention in 2024 with technical director James Allison revealing the team intend to be “in with a shout” of winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

Allison also claimed that Mercedes have established a “pretty ambitious” program for the new W15 chassis, which is expected to be a significant departure from the team’s last two cars under F1’s ground effect rules.

Yet Dennis, who drove the RB20 car in opening practice at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi, is expecting Red Bull and Verstappen to dominate again in 2024 – having fully switched development to the new RB21 after last September’s Singapore Grand Prix.

He told the Mirror: “We’ve got an extremely fast race car again at the Red Bull team.

“I would expect us to become Champions again, unless someone like Ferrari or Mercedes somehow manages to find about a second [per lap] overnight. I think it’s going to be quite a dull season in Formula 1 with Max probably dominating.

“I’d be lying if I said we didn’t switch our attention to the 2024 car quite quickly. We didn’t do any development on the 2023 car after Singapore.”

Dennis combines his Red Bull duties with his racing activities in Formula E, with the 28-year-old crowned World Champion with F1 hopefuls Andretti last season.

The Nuneaton-born star is hopeful that Verstappen’s dominance in F1 will persuade more fans to turn to Formula E in the search for more action-packed racing.

He said: “It’s so dominant from Max right now, it really brings new viewers to Formula E. It brings our Championship alive because we just don’t have that – we have a championship which is extremely difficult and close.

“We have 20 cars within two or three seconds on certain tracks, so it’s a lot more exciting and a lot more enjoyable for the fans, I would say.

“We just need to branch out there to a bigger audience for Formula E and get plenty of exposure, which is what is needed for the championship to take it to the next level.”

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