Then came Mercedes. By his own admission, it hasn’t been a huge success but
then again Brawn hasn’t sat on his hands either; he has been amassing an
engineering army at Brackley. So many big names have arrived that some
believe it may be a case of too many tech-geeks spoiling the broth.
Brawn believes the proof of the pudding will be in the eating and that
Hamilton could be scoffing his face as soon as 2013, rather than 2014 when
most pundits agree Mercedes will have more of a chance thanks to the planned
switch to 1.6 litre V6 turbos and the rise of the new ERS [Energy Recovery
Systems].
“The changes we have made in the last two years will be measured in 2013,”
Brawn told Telegraph Sport. “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.”
Fans could be forgiven for being sceptical. The team at Brackley — whether as
BAR, Honda, Brawn or Mercedes — have not shown much apart from one
half-season in 2009 to suggest they can consistently compete with the
Ferraris and McLarens of this world. Neither have they shown, yet, an
ability to develop at the same pace as their rivals during the season. But
Brawn has earned the right to be judged on the end result.
Hamilton’s advisors, Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment, know little about the
mysteries of Formula One engineering. But Hamilton will not have been
ignorant of all these facts. Do not believe those who would have you believe
that he was persuaded to move purely because of Fuller’s lust for filthy
lucre.
It may have played a part — there is no doubt XIX will make more money out of
him at Brackley and they may have tacitly encouraged him to make the leap —
but Hamilton is a racer at heart and one with a keen sense of where he fits
into the pantheon of greats. He desperately wants more championships to
cement his legacy.
With their signing of Hamilton, Mercedes have blown away any lingering doubts
about their commitment to the sport. They have gone all in.
Ultimately, Hamilton said on Friday, it was his desire for a “fresh challenge”
that fuelled his move, and there is no reason to doubt his word. His
relationship with McLaren was never so bad as to be irrevocably broken, but
there was a sense at times over the last two seasons that both sides could
do with a fresh start. Perhaps that led to complacency on McLaren’s side in
their negotiating tactics. Perhaps they weren’t so desperate to keep him.
Whatever, it is done now. At Mercedes Hamilton has the chance to grow in a new
environment, to help build a winning team rather than be part of a
ready-made one. It is a bold and exciting decision on his part; a fantastic
coup for Mercedes; a blow for McLaren (pending Sergio Perez’s emergence as a
championship contender); and great news for Formula One in general.
The new team behind Lewis
ROSS BRAWN (Mercedes team principal) The man with the Midas touch.
Winner of over half the world championships this century. Heads up a crack
team of engineers at Brackley.
NORBERT HAUG (president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport) Stuttgart’s point
man. Has worked closely with Hamilton for many years. Remained close when
McLaren and Mercedes split as team partners.
SIMON FULLER (manager) Founder of XIX Entertainment. Must not allow
Hamilton’s new commercial freedom affect his client’s driving/focus.
NIKI LAUDA (sounding board) New vice-chairman on Mercedes board of
directors. Straight-talking three-time world champion. Involved in
discussions with Hamilton.
NICO ROSBERG (team-mate) Friend. Rival. Team-mate. If Mercedes are
going to become winners Hamilton and Rosberg must work together and push
each other.