The 17-year-long relationship between the 7-time world champion and the behemoth that is Mercedes-Benz will finally conclude at the end of the 2024 F1 season. What lies ahead, though uncertain, brings excitement and trepidations too.
BY SAM MAIN
PUBLISHED FEB 02, 2024
MAINLY MOTORING
What started as a mere rumor not a few months ago has now turned into a reality. Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest racing drivers to ever live, will be parking his Mercedes up for the final time at the end of 2024 and joining the legendary illustrious team of Ferrari.
To many this is a shock given the prolonged relationship Hamilton has built with Mercedes - especially Toto. The team has accomplished so much over the years, especially during their incredibly dominant Hybrid-engine era of the mid 2010's. Hamilton has maintained his loyalty and support of the team through thick and thin, so to see him finally close the door on this chapter is a shock in of itself.
To others though, this day was merely inevitable given the sad decline of the team's success over the last 2 years in Formula One. I think it's safe to say that the result of 2021's rather controversial championship has, in my eyes, stained the relationship between everyone in the team. To use Toto's own words against him, it always feels as if 2021 lives 'rent free' in his head - no doubt for Hamilton, too, who was denied an 8th win, which would beat the current record held by Michael Schumacher as the most championships won by a single driver.
Regardless of the reasons behind it, the decision was announced on February 1st 2024, where Toto - Team Principal and CEO - commented:
"Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history. However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come... for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024."
Lewis' decision to part ways, though shocking, is also an exciting prospect for the sport - especially with how the motorsport is today with a certain team's clear domination. I digress. For the first time in many years, a huge shake-up in Formula One is about to occur, with Hamilton (an already proven master behind the wheel) switching sides and donning the red attire in a Ferrari Formula One machine.
Who knows what this will bring, but to me this is exciting! Maybe 2025 onwards will see Hamilton and Leclerc going head-to-head with Verstappen and Perez - or Norris and Piastri, given how incredible McLaren became at the end of the '23 season. What the sport needs now, more than ever, is true competition, and putting Hamilton back in a car that doesn't want to crap itself mid-corner is one step closer to achieving this true rivalry.
Then there's the question of where Sainz - the outgoing Ferrari driver - will end up. Mercedes? Aston Martin, should Alonso be head-hunted by Toto? Can we possibly imagine a world where Hamilton will be going head-to-head with Verstappen and his razor-sharp Red Bull and Alonso in a potentially dominating Mercedes? Now that would be a championship!
But, of course, after all the fan fare after this announcement settles, I will put money on people's trepidations beginning to unfold. Fans and followers of Formula One will no doubt know that Ferrari has not been at the top of its game for a while. This is a team that managed to fail getting Fernando Alonso a championship win during his 5-year tenure. This is also a team that famously pitted one of their drivers in a recent Grand Prix - who was going for a podium finish - on the penultimate lap! The result was as expected: they lost.
This is a long way of saying this: Ferrari have been in trouble, and they need to get their act together. With Vasseur taking over and doing more team restructures than Tory cabinet reshuffles, it's clear he means business. And with the signing of Hamilton, perhaps this is the first sign of a bright future for the team. I certainly hope so - the sport needs the return of competition, and shaking the hornets nest by switching sides is certainly one way to do it.
For now, we look onto the start of the 2024 Formula One championship. Will Aston Martin shock everyone again with a stunning initial performance? Will McLaren manage to keep their momentum up and possibly challenge the race leaders? Will Alpine survive? Will someone finally overtake a Red Bull? And, perhaps most apt to this feature, will Mercedes finally be able to reclaim their dignity on the track and help get Lewis his magic 8th win before his time with the legendary team runs out? In just over a month's time, all will be revealed in Bahrain.
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