Lewis Hamilton follows the money to Mercedes
Roar Pro By Mat Coch, 30 Sep 2012 Mat Coch is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- F1, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes, Mercedes, Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton has signed for Mercedes. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Lewis Hamilton has signed for Mercedes. The 2008 world champion will join the Brackley-based outfit alongside Nico Rosberg for the 2013 Formula One championship.
Hamilton had long been linked with the German marque. Rumours swirled around for months before the announcement was made on Friday. It signals the end of Michael Schumacher’s career, the German making way for Hamilton’s arrival.
The Englishman burst on to the scene in 2007 as a fresh-faced graduate from GP2. Groomed by the McLaren Driver Academy, he enjoyed the most successful debut season of any driver in the sport’s history, save Nino Farina in 1950.
When he joins Mercedes, Hamilton will have competed in 109 Grands Prix. So far he has won 20 of them. Only the true greats enjoy better figures; Juan Manuel Fangio won 24 Grands Prix from 52 starts.
Mercedes rejoined Formula One at the beginning of 2010 after buying the Brawn team. The current Mercedes team started life as Tyrrell before becoming British American Racing and Honda.
Nico Rosberg won the Chinese Grand Prix this year, the team’s first win since the 2009 Italian Grand Prix. It was Mercedes’ first win as a constructor since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton is one of the biggest names in Formula One. He has won races in every season in which he’s competed and commands one of the highest salaries on the grid.
He has not, however, been afforded the ability to develop personal endorsements as others have. McLaren have rarely given its drivers that sort of freedom, as its own ‘partners’ take precedence.
Attitudes at Mercedes are somewhat different. Drivers are permitted to have their own endorsements, which can be displayed prominently.
Endorsement opportunities appear to have been one of the carrots with which Mercedes was able to lure Hamilton. The other is suggested to be the 2014 engine regulations, when the sport will debut smaller capacity turbo-charged engines.
Hamilton’s move therefore looks to be based on speculation. He believes that greater freedom in the area of personal endorsements will earn him greater financial reward.
He believes working directly with a manufacturer, which is developing a 2014 engine, will give him greater opportunity than one of its customers. McLaren has long been powered by Mercedes, but from 2013 moves to a customer contract. It will pay for its engines for the first time since the 1990s.
Mercedes has won just a single race since it purchased Brawn in 2010. Hamilton has won twenty in his six year career to date. He has claimed to want to win, yet has signed for a team which has no pedigree. Hamilton has been inveigled by fame and fortune.
Formula One rarely rewards those who choose profit over pedigree. Jacques Villeneuve won the world championship in 1997. He joined British American Racing in 1999 and his career was over before the end of 2003.
Having won 11 Grands Prix in his first two seasons he never won another race. In 1997 he scored 81 points, but he would score just 76 more in his career. Jacques Villeneuve, too, was inveigled by fame and fortune.
Lewis Hamilton has signed for Mercedes. He has turned his back not only on the team which gave him the opportunity to reach Formula One, but on one with a history of success.
Mercedes has no such record. To suggest that he chose Mercedes to win is speculation at best and absurd at worst. Lewis Hamilton has followed the money and in doing so reduced his chances of winning more championships.
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The Crowd Says (6) | Page 1 of Comments
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- Explore:
- F1, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes, Mercedes, Motorsport
September 30th 2012 @ 3:38pm
GrantOz said | September 30th 2012 @ 3:38pm | Report comment
I heard rumours that Bernie is considering scrapping the new engine regulations.
I guess I’d like to see that happen just to see Lewis’ face.
September 30th 2012 @ 7:57pm
Mat Coch said | September 30th 2012 @ 7:57pm | Report comment
Correct, a story Pitpass.com broke.
Mercedes seem the only team determined to go down the V6 route. Bernie and Ross Brawn do not see eye to eye, which explains why Lauda was brought in.
Both Red Bull teams would prefer not to change while Ferrari has openly stated its opposition. Given Red Bull uses Renault engines it’s a finger in the wind as to what the French company’s thoughts are.
September 30th 2012 @ 5:40pm
falcore said | September 30th 2012 @ 5:40pm | Report comment
I always got the impression when I lived in the UK that McLaren treated Lewis pretty well from a young age, groomed him to be the pretty polished pr product he is (I still think he’s a tool thoough). Very interesting to see him turn his back. Also his move to monaco was explained away as being a team-ralted move, somehow I doubt he’ll be rejoining the tax-paying english population despite new team. (But that’s F1 right). So we can look forward to more ad’s like the Tag Huer one I guess?
September 30th 2012 @ 8:00pm
Mat Coch said | September 30th 2012 @ 8:00pm | Report comment
All drivers undergo heavy media training, and McLaren’s is especially focused. Lewis Hamilton grew up being taught to say the right things at the right time, however he has never been especially good at hiding whatever emotions are bubbling below the surface.
Hamilton’s move to Switzerland was for tax reasons, and potentially the ‘quiet’ life away from the gutter press he both shuns and plays to in equal measure.
September 30th 2012 @ 9:00pm
Mark Young said | September 30th 2012 @ 9:00pm | Report comment
I have been thinking all weekend,
is this Villeneuve from Williams to BAR or Schumacher from Benneton to Ferrari…
Odds on it will be Villeneuve.
The big winner for me out of this is Button.
If McLaren produce the goods next year, which is certainly far more likely then Mercedes doing so, he is in the box seat.
Lewis has been poorly advised. There is no reason to think that he will win more races now then he has with McLaren. If he has done this purely for more personal endorsements, I hope that it means more to him then winning another championship.
Have you herd anything about Nico Hulkenburg heading for Ferrari? Lots of buzz yesterday…
Finally, Thanks for you articles from Singapore Mat, sounds like you had an awesome weekend!
September 30th 2012 @ 9:17pm
Mat Coch said | September 30th 2012 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
The few people I’ve been speaking to lately have suggested that perhaps Massa could pull off the impossible.
However, Alguersuari will be on the grid next year and I believe he’ll be at Force India. Neither Hulkenberg or Di Resta will sit the year out, suggesting one or the other will be moving on. The logical place for that is Ferrari.
Di Resta’s father has a long association with the Italian marque.
Sauber will fill the hole left by Perez with Esteban Guiterrez. He is Mexican, as is Carlos Slim and Telmex.
Where that leaves Massa remains to be seen, if the pieces fall in such a way that he needs a change of overalls.
Singapore is an amazing event and I would encourage all to attend. It rivals Monaco for atmosphere and the off track entertainment for fans has to be the best all season. Alas I didn’t have time to enjoy it.