It isn’t all about winning. It is at least as much about the journey, about
how you act and how you feel within yourself.
Sure, Lewis has taken a big gamble in joining Mercedes but you could only say
it was a mistake in retrospect. The fact is Mercedes have all the
ingredients to do well – financial clout, a great engine, experienced
personnel, forthcoming regulation changes which should level the field – and
the best drivers are the ones who are able to make a cake out of those
ingredients.
Fernando Alonso is a great example right now. He is like a conductor; he has
everyone at Ferrari playing for him. Lewis has that challenge now, to see if
he can be part of a new and exciting project. I think he needed it.
One thing is for certain, it is going to be fascinating watching it all play
out. Lewis’s move may or may not work out for him, or Mercedes, or McLaren,
but it has thrown a live grenade into the paddock. The rest of this season
has now taken on a completely different hue, with the knowledge of who is
going where, while 2013 is tantalising.
How will Nico Rosberg respond to the raw pace of his old friend and team-mate
Hamilton? How will Sergio Perez fare at McLaren? How will Jenson Button
respond to the pressure of being the de facto team leader? It’s one thing
qualifying behind Lewis, but if you’re getting beaten by the 22-year-old
newbie, it could get inside his head.
Personally, I think Jenson will respond well. I really admired the way he
went to McLaren and matched Lewis when no one gave him a chance of doing so.
Never write him off.
Other questions: will Michael Schumacher retire (again)? I think he should.
The fit with Mercedes was one-off. Could we yet see Paul di Resta or Nico
Hulkenberg in a Ferrari next year? Why not? I’m biased but I feel Paul is
the obvious choice. I know McLaren looked at him but my feeling is they had
shaken the British tree as much as they could sponsor-wise and Perez, quite
apart from his undoubted ability behind a wheel, offered something different
in that respect.
So many questions are thrown up by Lewis’s decision to join Mercedes and
Formula One is undoubtedly the better for it. With luck Lewis will be as
well. This could be the making of him as a man.