Lewis Hamilton will on Friday bring to an end one of the most controversial and long-running transfer sagas in Formula One history by announcing that he is leaving McLaren, the team he has been with over half his life, for rivals Mercedes in a three-year deal which could be worth as much as $100million (£61.6million).
The announcement is almost certain to end the career of the most successful driver in F1, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, whose return three years ago to the sport he once bestrode like a colossus palpably failed to live up to expectations.
It is not yet clear whether Schumacher will be offered some sort of ambassadorial or management role with the Brackley team.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Mercedes are waiting for their board in Stuttgart to sign off on the new Concorde Agreement, the commercial pact which binds the teams to the sport, before making an official announcement regarding Hamilton. That announcement should arrive today.
Right up until the end the move was kept shrouded in secrecy. McLaren are only understood to have been informed of Hamilton’s decision yesterday, and may hold a press conference of their own this morning, at which they will announce their next move.
There is no doubt, though, that Hamilton’s rejection, particularly after McLaren returned more than once in recent weeks with improved deals, reportedly matching Mercedes’ offer, will come as a bitter blow to the team who nurtured the 27 year-old from young karter to F1 world champion.
Hamilton famously walked up to McLaren’s then team principal, Ron Dennis, at the Autosport Awards ceremony as a 10 year-old in 1995 and said: “I want to race for you one day.” Less than three years later he was signed by the Woking team, who put him through the British Formula Renault, Formula Three Euroseries, and GP2 championships on his way up the motor racing ladder.
Hamilton’s decision to move to pastures new will no doubt be seen by some within the team as a betrayal. The McLaren principal, Martin Whitmarsh, who had always said he was confident of hanging on to Hamilton, and who claimed in Monza three weeks ago that there was “no plan B” in the event that the 2008 world champion left the team, seemed more confident than ever in Singapore last weekend.
Hamilton, too, reacted to his retirement from the lead in that race with maturity, praising his team for producing a car which has taken pole at the last four races, winning three of them.
In truth, it must have been a final act of kindness from a driver who had already made up his mind to gamble on a fresh start.
The regular controversies which have punctuated their relationship in recent seasons, the tension which was increasingly palpable, makes the move understandable.
Mercedes may have won just one race in 50 since returning as a full works team in 2010, but they have huge financial resources at their disposal, a much larger brand and a team principal in Ross Brawn who has delivered over half the world championships on offer this century.
The car’s competitiveness is an issue but Hamilton has clearly gambled on the capitalising on new engine regulations in 2014, when a 1.6-litre V6 turbo will be introduced. Mercedes, as one of the sport’s manufacturer teams, are expected to throw everything at that season.
Brawn yesterday said there was no reason that the team could not be competitive in 2013, arguing that the recruitment of a glut of experienced F1 engineers over the last 12-18 months would begin to show in 2013.
“I think we can [be competitive],” he said. “Next year is very important and it has got to be another strong progression. We have been a patchy this year. We have won a race but we have not been consistent enough. “The changes we have made at in the last two years will be measured in 2013. Geoff Willis, Aldo Costa, Mike Elliott, our new head of aero. I’m very excited about Mike. He’s a really strong guy. That has to show through in 2013 and I am pretty optimistic and confident that it will.”
Hamilton, whose move is certain electrify the paddock and is likely to kick-start a merry-go-round as far as race seats for next season are concerned, will go into the team as a clear No1, racing alongside his old karting team-mate and friend Nico Rosberg.
The move raises all sorts of questions; from how much influence XIX Entertainment, Simon Fuller’s management company, had over the decision — XIX are expected to be able to make more money out of Hamilton’s contract at Mercedes, who will grant them greater freedom to exploit his image rights – to who McLaren will get to line up alongside Jenson Button next year.
For the moment, though, F1 will just soak up one of the most sensational transfer stories in recent history.
Via The Telegraph
