At the start of February, the news of Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari from season 2025 came out. That leaves Carlos Sainz as a free agent heading into 2025.
George Russell is a reputable figure in the F1 paddock and a Grand Prix winner who is currently the teammate of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. The news of Hamilton repping up the red outfit has taken the paddock and the whole Mercedes team by surprise.
Sebastian Vettel loves it so much that he's based his first post-retirement environmental initiative there. He invited all of the drivers out to the grand opening of his "bee hotels" on Suzuka's second turn.