It’s a week since the news broke of the biggest driver move in F1 history, but it still seems incredible. Rumours of Hamilton going to Ferrari have circulated on and off for years, though it seemed unlikely Hamilton would give up such a good Mercedes gig.
In this issue, Alex Kalinauckas charts how the switch came about, why the seven-time champion has decided to make his move now, and what it means for the rest of F1 – both on and off the track.
Of course, Hamilton isn’t the first big F1 star to head for the team in red. Jake Boxall-Legge takes a look at previous champions and title contenders who made the jump to Ferrari, and assesses whether their moves were a hit or a miss.
Another British F1 champion will be racing with a different famous marque in the World Endurance Championship this year. Jenson Button will drive a Porsche 963 for Jota and he tells Gary Watkins why he’s decided to focus on the programme after sporadic outings in many series in recent years.
Callum Ilott will be one of Button’s team-mates and he talks to James Newbold about his new challenge following the end (for now at least) of his time in IndyCar.
Going the other way is Tom Blomqvist and the IMSA star-turned-IndyCar racer speaks to Joey Barnes about his return to single-seater competition, while we also hear from Extreme E champion Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky ahead of her title defence with Nico Rosberg’s team.
As ever, we also have all the latest news, from the F1 launches and controversial Andretti Cadillac rejection to the biggest developments in UK motorsport. Stephen Lickorish and Stefan Mackley also go head-to-head to argue whether speed or consistency is the most important attribute an up-and-coming driver needs.
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