F1 News
Date: 28/September/2012
The rumours were true: Lewis Hamilton is to cut his long links with McLaren and join Mercedes for the 2013 F1 season.
The Englishman will take the place of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, who now looks likely to retire - for the second and final time - at the end of 2012.
It is a massive decision for Hamilton, who has been backed by McLaren for the past 14 years - taking him from karts to F1, where he was given his big break by McLaren in 2007.
Hamilton, 27, said: “It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter racing for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
“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 boss Norbert Haug stressed that German company had also backed Hamilton from early in his career - and paid tribute to seven time Champion Schumacher, who has taken just one podium since being tempted out of retirement by the chance to drive for Mercedes at the start of 2010.
Haug said: “Mercedes-Benz has supported Lewis throughout his career, from karting, to Formula 3, to our successful partnership [as an engine supplier] with McLaren, and it will be a very nice moment for all of us in the team to see him at the wheel of a works Silver Arrow next season, following in the tradition of British Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix drivers Sir Stirling Moss and Richard Seaman.
“Of course, it takes a great driver to replace such a legendary and successful one as Michael Schumacher. Over the past three years, Michael has been a great driver and an exemplary ambassador for Mercedes AMG Petronas. His experience has been an important factor in guiding the development of our team in Brackley and we extend our sincere thanks to Michael for his loyalty, team play and commitment.”
Nico Rosberg, who claimed the first modern Mercedes F1 victory at Shanghai this year, will continue with the team alongside Hamilton next year.
While Hamilton has signed a three-year deal with Mercedes, McLaren has named Mexican Sergio Perez, 22, as his replacement on a ‘multi-year’ deal.
Perez has taken three podiums for Sauber this season, his second in F1, and had been linked to a Ferrari drive earlier in the year. Perez will drive alongside Jenson Button, who won the title for Brawn in 2009 and has been at McLaren ever since.
Perez said: “The McLaren name is one of the greatest in the history of Formula 1. For more than 40 years McLaren has been a team that every racing driver has aspired to drive for - I was brought up on the great stories of Ayrton Senna's many world championship triumphs for McLaren - and I'm truly honoured that they've chosen me to partner Jenson from 2013 onwards.”
Hamilton finished title runner-up in his very first F1 season, also notable for the inter-team conflict with McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, then claimed the championship in 2008.
Although a race winner in every F1 season, Hamilton has been no higher than fourth in the championship since his title year.
The ambitious Hamilton has clearly been frustrated by the lack of a further championship challenge, yet his move to Mercedes would appear to take him further away from that goal - at least in the short term.
McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “It's entirely appropriate that I should take this opportunity to pass on our thanks to Lewis. He wrote a huge chapter of his life and career with us, and was, and always will be, a fine member of an exclusive club: the McLaren world champions' club.
“It goes without saying that we all wish him well for the future, just as it also goes without saying that we hope and believe that Sergio, too, will become a member of that exclusive club before too long.”
McLaren has won 12 F1 Drivers’ titles, between 1974 and 2008. Mercedes has won two F1 Drivers’ titles, back in 1954 and 1955.
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