Ferrari facing LOSS after key exit prompts Hamilton setback

Ferrari Formula 1 team are facing a potential setback following a key exit ahead of Lewis Hamilton's debut season with the Scuderia.

The seven-time champion is now officially a Ferrari driver after his contract began on the first day of the New Year.

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Although Hamilton has bid an emotional farewell to Mercedes after 12 years with the squad, he is yet to make his debut in red, with reports from Italian media suggesting his first test with Ferrari is due to take place on either January 21, 22 or if the weather postpones it, January 25, 2025.

As the team prepares to welcome the seven-time champion to their ranks, Charles Leclerc will also be preparing to adapt to a new team-mate after saying goodbye to his companion Carlos Sainz.

The duo's racing partnership began in 2021 when Sainz joined Leclerc as Sebastian Vettel's replacement and has now come to an end with the arrival of another legend of the sport.

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Sainz swoops Santander

Another impact of Sainz leaving the Scuderia is the exit of one of Ferrari's key allies- Santander.

The Spanish banking brand revealed following Sainz's departure that they would be joining the 30-year-old at Williams in a multi-year deal for 2025 and beyond.

The exit while a setback for Ferrari and Hamilton though, is expected not to bring long term pain to the team given the Brit's huge commercial pull likely to draw in any revenue loss following Santander's exit.

Now, in a conversation with Casino Uden Rofus, former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley has weighed in on the sponsors switch.

"The Santander package that Carlos Sainz has brought to Williams will definitely help them, but we're in a cost-capped era of F1 now.

"You can bring in as much money as you want, but you can only spend as much as everyone else. Williams will become even more of a profitable entity. It will help them fill the budget and hit the cost cap.

"Most of these sponsorship partners bring more than just money, some sponsorships bring tools, advanced personnel, expertise or more. Maybe Santander are bringing in some financial experts at Williams, but I don't know.

"2026 is a massive opportunity for Williams. Lewis Hamilton was attracted to Mercedes because of the plan they showed him ahead of past regulation changes. We could be seeing the same happen with Sainz at Williams."

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