This is the news we have all been waiting for. Today (Friday 28th September) it was officially confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will drive for Mercedes in 2013 after signing a 3 year deal. He described the move as a "fresh challenge".
Hamilton, who has worked with the team since he was 13 years old, will be replaced at Mercedes by Sauber star Sergio Perez.
The move was predicted by BBCF1 pundit Eddie Jordan earlier in the month, and rumours started to circle during the Italian Grand Prix. Now the rumours have been confirmed, with Hamilton moving over to the Silver Arrows. Mercedes signed a new commercial agreement with the sports commercial rights holders guaranteeing a long term future in the sport.
The deal signed will last for 3 years, and is said to be worth a rumoured £60million (with possible bonuses added), working out at around £20 million per season.
The 2008 world champion has been with the Woking squad since the age of 13, and made his race debut for them at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007. After an impressive debut season with the team, where he missed out on the world championship by the slimmest of margins, he was eventually crowned F1 world champion a year later after a thrilling season climax.
McLaren have given Lewis a car quick enough to win races every year, but his aim is to win more world championships. McLaren just have not been able to do that, and despite having the quickest car in 2012 his season has been full of retirements and mistakes, some by the team itself.
Hamilton also wants less press work and one of the problems with his negotiations with McLaren was not only about pay but also being able to keep his trophies. McLaren signed him before the economic crisis, so the deal offered to him for next season was considerably less. Mercedes upped the bid and Lewis followed, but is it that simple?
Mercedes have huge potential and scored their first win earlier in the year, but their pace in recent races has been poor in comparison to their early championship challenge. However things are looking up due to the confidence in the 2013 car and the change in engine regulations for 2014, which will be a huge factor in deciding the pecking order for that year.
Hamilton said on the move "It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter, Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share. Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world championships."
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said on the signing "I believe that the combination of Lewis and Nico will be the most dynamic and exciting pairing on the grid next year and I am looking forward to what we can achieve together. Over the past three years, we have been putting in place the foundations and building blocks that are needed to compete regularly for the world championship. The potential is now there to match any other team on the grid."
The move is a huge blow for McLaren, who have already said that their best chance of winning championship's is with the Brit. Martin Whitmarsh commented on the move, saying "It goes without saying that we all wish him well for the future." Sources say that money was not the only reason for Hamilton's decision, despite Mercedes giving him a much larger salary. They also revealed he is thinking of his long term future, something that looks bright at Mercedes.
This leaves Michael Schumacher without a seat, due to Hamilton partnering Nico Rosberg. The 7 time world champion has a few midfield possibilities but the sport could see him retire for a second time. Schumacher also commented on the move and said "I have had three nice years with the team which unfortunately did not go as well as we all would have wanted on the sporting side," he said. I wish Lewis well and for the team to achieve the success we worked so hard for in the build-up. I will now concentrate on the next races."
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
The move was predicted by BBCF1 pundit Eddie Jordan earlier in the month, and rumours started to circle during the Italian Grand Prix. Now the rumours have been confirmed, with Hamilton moving over to the Silver Arrows. Mercedes signed a new commercial agreement with the sports commercial rights holders guaranteeing a long term future in the sport.
The deal signed will last for 3 years, and is said to be worth a rumoured £60million (with possible bonuses added), working out at around £20 million per season.
The 2008 world champion has been with the Woking squad since the age of 13, and made his race debut for them at the Australian Grand Prix in 2007. After an impressive debut season with the team, where he missed out on the world championship by the slimmest of margins, he was eventually crowned F1 world champion a year later after a thrilling season climax.
McLaren have given Lewis a car quick enough to win races every year, but his aim is to win more world championships. McLaren just have not been able to do that, and despite having the quickest car in 2012 his season has been full of retirements and mistakes, some by the team itself.
Hamilton also wants less press work and one of the problems with his negotiations with McLaren was not only about pay but also being able to keep his trophies. McLaren signed him before the economic crisis, so the deal offered to him for next season was considerably less. Mercedes upped the bid and Lewis followed, but is it that simple?
Mercedes have huge potential and scored their first win earlier in the year, but their pace in recent races has been poor in comparison to their early championship challenge. However things are looking up due to the confidence in the 2013 car and the change in engine regulations for 2014, which will be a huge factor in deciding the pecking order for that year.
Hamilton said on the move "It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter, Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share. Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world championships."
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said on the signing "I believe that the combination of Lewis and Nico will be the most dynamic and exciting pairing on the grid next year and I am looking forward to what we can achieve together. Over the past three years, we have been putting in place the foundations and building blocks that are needed to compete regularly for the world championship. The potential is now there to match any other team on the grid."
The move is a huge blow for McLaren, who have already said that their best chance of winning championship's is with the Brit. Martin Whitmarsh commented on the move, saying "It goes without saying that we all wish him well for the future." Sources say that money was not the only reason for Hamilton's decision, despite Mercedes giving him a much larger salary. They also revealed he is thinking of his long term future, something that looks bright at Mercedes.
This leaves Michael Schumacher without a seat, due to Hamilton partnering Nico Rosberg. The 7 time world champion has a few midfield possibilities but the sport could see him retire for a second time. Schumacher also commented on the move and said "I have had three nice years with the team which unfortunately did not go as well as we all would have wanted on the sporting side," he said. I wish Lewis well and for the team to achieve the success we worked so hard for in the build-up. I will now concentrate on the next races."
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