According to reports, Zhou Guanyu received insider information about Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari even before the Mercedes crew. The news of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari from 2025 onwards came as a surprise to almost everyone in the racing community. Most of the Mercedes crew were unaware of the negotiations taking place between Maranello and Hamilton. However, Guanyu made a bold claim that he had prior knowledge of this unexpected development.
The Chinese driver stated that he didn’t pay much attention to the news, and many dismissed it as mere rumors. He emphasized that his familiarity with Hamilton’s management allowed him to gather more information about the British driver’s shocking move to Ferrari in the following season. Guanyu revealed that he immediately reached out to Hamilton to inquire about the news. He admitted that even he was taken aback by the truth behind the rumors. He believed that the news would be even more surprising for the people at Hamilton’s long-time team, Mercedes.
Guanyu expressed that retiring as a Ferrari driver in Formula 1 would be a great accomplishment. However, he found it completely unexpected to see Hamilton join Ferrari in such an unforeseen manner and retire as a part of the team. Many others on the grid shared this sentiment and were not fully supportive of Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari.
Despite having signed a two-year contract with Mercedes until 2024, Hamilton activated his exit clause and secured his move to Ferrari due to certain issues. Nevertheless, Guanyu found this move exciting and looked forward to seeing Hamilton drive for the red team from 2025 onwards.
However, Hamilton still has one more year with Mercedes to showcase his racing abilities. He is likely to push himself to the limit and aim for impressive results to end his tenure with the team on a high note. Amidst these surprising developments, the racing community prepares for the challenges that lie ahead in the 2024 season.
