Albon: Hamilton to Ferrari news a ‘pinch yourself moment’

Alex Albon has expressed his surprise over Lewis Hamilton’s shock decision to join Ferrari.

Hamilton will end his long-term association with Mercedes at the end of the upcoming campaign and start a new career chapter with the famous Italian outfit.

The seven-time World Champion has long been linked with a move to Ferrari but Hamilton has always asserted his commitment to Mercedes and rejected a move away from the Silver Arrows.

However amid a slump in form for the Brackley-based squad, he has now opted to make the switch and sign a multi-year deal to race alongside Charles Leclerc.

“It just shows you how big Lewis is, seeing the stock of Ferrari going up as much as it did and just seeing the general perception of the news,” Albon told media including RacingNews365.

“Definitely, to me, it was one of them pinch-yourself moments - ‘is this a real story?’”

Comparison to Messi

With Hamilton being the most successful driver of all time joining the sport's most successful team, many are labelling the move as the biggest driver transfers in F1 history.

Albon likened the decision to Lionel Messi's switch from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami last year.

“I think there are so many rumours going over the winter,” Albon said. “You didn't know what had any kind of credibility or not.

“And the Ferrari one definitely seemed to be a rumour to me at the very beginning of the story, and then it turned out to be a real thing.

“So [it’s] great and it reminds me of the [Lionel] Messi Miami transfer on such a huge scale, and just shows you the appetite for Formula 1.

“I mean, obviously, as you as you guys saw, it lays a lot of questions in the driver market as well and opens that up.”