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The confirmation that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari surprised many. F1 fans had expected the British driver to finish his career with Mercedes and perhaps try to win a few more championships. However, the experienced driver realized that Mercedes could no longer provide him with what he needed to win another title. Hamilton decided to accept Ferrari's offer, and starting next season, he will be racing for the Italian team.
Considering his age, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff commented on Hamilton's decision and acknowledged that they had offered Lewis a 1+1 contract. It seems that Wolff and the rest of the Mercedes staff were ready to see Hamilton go, given that he is getting older, and it was becoming difficult to expect the same level of performance from him.
It's hard to say goodbye to a driver who brought you so much, but every team must experience such a moment
“There’s a reason why we only signed a one-plus-one-year contract,” Wolff said, as quoted by Crash.
“We’re in a sport where cognitive sharpness is extremely important, and I believe everyone has a shelf life.
So I need to look at the next generation. It’s the same in football. Managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola. They anticipated it in the performance of their top stars and brought in junior players that drove the team for the next years.”
From next year, the colors of the German team will be defended by young Kimi Antonelli, who has been the talk of the town ever since Lewis confirmed his decision. The 18-year-old Italian quickly became the focus of magazines and media. Although Mercedes' leadership repeatedly emphasized that Antonelli is still a young driver who requires careful consideration, they eventually decided to give him a chance.
Toto Wolff stressed that he expected Hamilton's departure, but he did not expect the experienced driver to make such a quick decision without thoroughly considering whether Mercedes could remain competitive. Wolff admitted that Hamilton's decision took away valuable time to explore other options that were ahead of him.
In the end, Mercedes' team principal expressed respect for Hamilton, emphasizing that the situation allowed him to avoid the difficult moment of having to say goodbye to the seasoned driver.
“I absolutely had it on my radar that Lewis would go,” he said.
“I just couldn’t understand why he’d change to another team before we knew if we were going to be competitive.
It also didn’t give me any time to react, I had to emergency call our partners, and I possibly missed out on negotiating with other drivers who had signed contracts a few weeks earlier like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
[But] I like the situation. It helps us because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most iconic driver that we want to stop.”
Toto Wolff wants to focus on the young drivers
Wolff explained that he needed to focus on the next generation of drivers. He compared the situation to football, where managers like Sir Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola were able to predict when their star players would start to decline. These managers then brought in younger, up-and-coming players who could take over and keep the team strong for the future. Wolff believes Mercedes has to do the same with its driver lineup, looking ahead to secure the team's success in the years to come.
Mercedes was the dominant team a few years ago, and it seemed like their reign would last for a long time. However, the German team has gone through a rough patch, and many were surprised by Red Bull's superiority. It appears that every era has its end, but also its beginning. That's why Wolff believes bringing in new, young, and promising drivers can ensure a bright future for the team. A driver like Antonelli is a sign of that future, but it's unrealistic to expect him to immediately deliver great performances.
It will also be interesting to see how Hamilton adjusts to his new role at Ferrari, and whether age will truly play a role in his career as he enters the next season.
Hamilton's recent form has not been encouraging, and it certainly won't be pleasing to Ferrari's leadership, who will be expecting much more from him. However, expectations are also high on Hamilton's side. The British driver will be hoping for a car that can compete with the best teams in the world, such as Red Bull and McLaren. Next season promises to bring plenty of excitement, unexpected moments, and scenarios that fans have been eagerly waiting to see unfold.
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