Two huge Formula 1 driver moves that flopped big time

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion's special relationship with the Silver Arrows was seemingly unbreakable. Once the allure of the Scuderia reared its head, however, the British GOAT couldn't resist pulling on the famed scarlet Red team colours and having one final crack at a record eighth world title. But can Hamilton do it at the ripe old age of 40.

While the former Stevenage-born star certainly has his eyes on a first title in five years, his task will not be easy. McLaren without question have the fastest car on the grid at present, and the bookies fancy their lead driver Lando Norris to take full advantage of that.

Websites allowing one to place a bet online currently make the last season's title runner up a 12/5 favourite for the Formula 1 title next season, with reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen narrowly behind him at 5/2.

For Hamilton, he is priced at a much more modest 5/1, with new teammate Charles Leclerc just ahead of him at 9/2. While the bookies may not fancy him to win the driver's title, however, they certainly fancy his new team's chances of winning the constructor's crown.

Online betting sites currently make Ferrari a 5/4 joint-favourite for the honour this year. In fact, if one were to place a bet on Hamilton and Ferrari to have the perfect season by claiming both titles, a bet calculator shows that a £10 wager would potentially return a whopping £135.

However, that is by no means guaranteed, and as these driver moves will show you, everything doesn't always go to plan in Formula 1.

Few Formula 1 partnerships began with as much hype as Fernando Alonso's move to McLaren in 2007. At the time, the Spaniard was fresh off claiming his second straight championship with Renault and widely regarded as the heir apparent to Michael Schumacher's throne.

McLaren moved heaven and earth to bring the youngest champion ever into their line-up, pairing him up with a rookie Lewis Hamilton in a bid to dominate the sport for years to come. Unfortunately for both Alonso and his new team, this dream turned into a nightmare almost immediately.

Though inexperienced, Hamilton displayed incredible pace and quickly emerged as Alonso’s equal, challenging the Spaniard’s assumed status as team leader. Tensions boiled over both on and off the track, with McLaren bosses struggling to manage the cutthroat rivalry. Infamously, Alonso reportedly had to go low in order to gain an advantage, hindering Hamilton's qualifying session in Hungary and seemingly severing relations for good.

To make matters worse, McLaren became embroiled in the infamous "Spygate" scandal, losing constructors' points and gaining a hefty fine due to illegal possession of Ferrari data. By the end of that Formula 1 season, both Alonso and Hamilton missed out on the title to Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen in dramatic circumstances, and the Spaniard returned to Renault after just one season.

Daniel Ricciardo’s bold change from Red Bull to Renault in 2019 was seen as a calculated move to rebuild a team with championship ambitions. The Aussie had become beloved for his charismatic personality and gutsy overtakes.

His former team had led him to seven Formula 1 race victories, but a battle for lead driver status against the brash young Max Verstappen proved too much to handle. Ricciardo bailed out.

History shows Danny Ric opted to leave the only home he had ever known in racing to spearhead the French former world champions' long-term project, doing so to plenty of fanfare. Unfortunately, the return to former glories never came.

Two years later, Ricciardo's stint was hardly the career boost he’d hoped for. Renault’s car, while occasionally competitive, couldn’t consistently challenge the top three teams.

Ricciardo did manage to claim two podiums, but the team failed to make the leap he likely envisioned when leaving Red Bull. Despite the car showing signs of improvement, the Honey Badger surprisingly moved on to McLaren to replace the outgoing Carlos Sainz, and that move went even worse.