On the deadline day of European football’s January transfer window, the most shocking switch happened, instead, in F1 as Ferrari confirmed the signing of Lewis Hamilton on a multi-year contract starting in 2025. The news was so sudden and so big that even football journalists like Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein took to social media to post about Hamilton! January 31 proved to be a shocking day, just not for football fans.
With the internet still processing the thought of seeing Hamilton in a Ferrari instead of a Mercedes, My Kolkata recaps the most shocking switches in sports that nobody saw coming.
Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes to Ferrari
Hamilton joined Mercedes from McLaren in 2013
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have become synonymous with each other over the past decade, following the Briton’s move to the German outfit from McLaren in 2013. In that time, Hamilton has won six drivers’ championships for the Silver Arrows and frequently gushed about his loyalty to his team. However, come 2025, Hamilton will be racing in the red of Scuderia Ferrari, with the iconic prancing horse adorning his helmet. The multi-year contract with Ferrari will make Hamilton the richest driver in the team’s history while also giving him the opportunity to “fulfil a childhood dream” and potentially surpass Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher, with whom he is currently tied on seven world titles. What makes this switch even more shocking is that Hamilton had signed a two-year extension with Mercedes last August and has been involved in an intense rivalry with Ferrari during most of his time at Mercedes. For their part, Ferrari have not tasted world championship glory since 2008, in spite of having some of the finest names in the sport such as Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel race in their cars. Whether Hamilton, who will be 40 by the time the switch becomes effective, can revive the glory days for Ferrari will be one of the most intriguing storylines in F1 over the next few years.
Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya led GT to back-to-back IPL finals in 2022 and 2023
In the most shocking transfer in IPL history, Mumbai Indians (MI) welcomed back Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT) two seasons after letting him go. Not only that, the five-time IPL champions decided to make Pandya, who led GT to back-to-back finals and victory in 2022, their captain for the next IPL season. This meant unceremoniously dumping Rohit Sharma, the man who led MI to all five of their titles. While the MI management justified the call by saying that they were looking long-term, many MI fans were miffed at the way Rohit was axed from his leadership role, especially after the Indian captain had been instrumental in steering the Men in Blue to the 50-over World Cup final last November. As MI skipper, Hardik will receive a salary of Rs 15 crore, but speculation has been rife that MI had to pay Rs 100 crore to GT for the transfer. If that is true, then this is not just a shocking but also an expensive homecoming for Hardik, who will be under pressure to deliver with MI right away.
Marc Marquez from Honda to Gresini Racing
Marc Marquez won six world titles with Honda in 11 years
Similar to Hamilton at Mercedes, Marc Marquez was seemingly indispensable at Honda, where he won six world championships in his 11 years. The Spaniard had started his MotoGP career with Honda and while Honda backed him right through, some judgement calls led to the relationship turning sour. At the peak of his powers in 2020, Marquez met with an accident that ruled him out for the entire season and led to only partial involvement in 2021 and 2022. Coming back for the full season in 2023, Marquez realised that the Repsol Honda bike had fallen way off and was not in a position to compete. Despite insisting on changes, Honda refused to listen to Marquez, who grew tired of Honda’s lack of intent and made a bold switch to Gresini Racing, which belongs to Ducati. While the Gresini bike also leaves a lot to be desired, the feeling among Marquez fans is that the 30-year-old’s renewed vigour can make up for what the machine lacks heading into this year’s races.
LeBron James from Cleveland Cavaliers to Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James won the NBA title with the LA Lakers in 2020
Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Shaquilie O’Neal are just some of the illustrious names that have represented the LA Lakers over the years. Until 2018, one glaring omission from that list was LeBron James, perhaps the most imposing force in the NBA since Michael Jordan. All that changed when King James left the Cavaliers for the second time to go to LA, leaving the NBA stunned. James had found it hard to win over the Cavaliers’ fans after leaving for the Miami Heat in 2010 and few thought that another exit was on the cards, especially after James spearheaded Cleveland’s first NBA title run in 52 years in 2016. Eventually, the lure of playing for the Lakers trumped James’s undoubted passion for the Cavaliers, and James sealed the deal in 2018, going on to win his first NBA trophy with the Lakers in 2020.
Sol Campbell from Tottenham to Arsenal
Sol Campbell became Premier League champion with Arsenal in 2003-04
“Being a Spurs fan as a boy and as a player for so many years, it would be hard to sign for Arsenal. I don’t think the fans here would ever forgive me,” said Sol Campbell in the summer of 2001, the then Tottenham Hotspur captain, in a move to assure Spurs fans that he was staying. Starting off in the Spurs academy and then progressing to be their talisman and club captain, what Campbell did next was straight out of a Shakespearean play. After several late-night meetings in the heart of London, Campbell was announced as an Arsenal player. The deal was done so secretively that when Arsenal announced a press conference, everyone thought it was about the acquisition of back-up goalkeeper Richard Wright. Instead, when Campbell walked out behind manager Arsene Wenger, there were audible gasps across the room. Even though Spurs fans never forgave Campbell, the English defender became a Premier League champion with the Gunners, something he may never have managed had he stayed put at White Hart Lane.
Luis Figo from Barcelona to Real Madrid
Luis Figo was greeted with a pig’s head at the Camp Nou following his move to Real Madrid
When Netflix makes a documentary about a transfer, its shock value need not be reiterated. The Figo Affair (2022) is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of Luis Figo’s switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000 for a then world record of $60 million. As part of Real president Florentino Perez’s election manifesto, the switch turned Figo from hero to villain in Catalonia overnight, resulting in a pig’s head being thrown at him (among other things) on one of his subsequent visits to the Camp Nou. Figo has gone on record to say that his hand was forced and that his heart was set on remaining in Barcelona. Some versions suggest that Figo’s agent had left him compromised. The fact of the matter remains that arguably the best player in the world at that moment swapped the Blaugrana for the colours of their fiercest rivals and lived to regret it, notwithstanding a series of trophies as a Galactico.
