Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest and most successful drivers of this F1 generation, pulled off a coup to leave Mercedes in disarray. The seven-time world champion dumped his decade-long relationship with the German outfit to move to Maranello, Italy, and join hands with Ferrari.
The historic driver transfer unfolded earlier this year, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff being kept in complete darkness. Regardless, the damage is done as with Hamilton; the Silver Arrows fear losing a significant chunk of market value and fanbase. The first instance of the domino effect is likely to occur soon, as the team could lose two big sponsors this year.
PUMA, Tommy Hilfiger Likely To Part Ways With Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team!
Lewis Hamilton has always been more than just a racing driver all his life. His aura, confidence, and success have fetched him immeasurable fame and media attention over the years. Basically, Lewis is a superstar, and his influence and popularity transcend the realms of Formula 1. Naturally, having a supremely popular figure like Lewis Hamilton helped Mercedes attain a lot of notable sponsors over the years. Over the past many years, global sports apparel brands PUMA and Tommy Hilfiger have invested £6 million annually in the team’s operations. And recently, Tommy Hilfiger announced Lewis Hamilton as their brand ambassador. However, the British driver leaving the team next year has changed the dynamics of sponsor relationships.
According to a report from Daily Mail, PUMA and Tommy Hilfiger have decided to discontinue their association with Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team in the aftermath of Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari. While it’s a big blow to the F1 team, given the future uncertainty, the Silver Arrows apparently have a damage control plan sketched up. In case the two notable sports apparel brands pull out their support in the near future, the German outfit will have Adidas on board. Adidas reported its first financial loss in the past three decades. But remains committed to entering a £10 million-per-year contract with the Brackley-based team. Of course, a lot of whether the deal materializes or not will depend on who the Silver Arrows decide to sign for the second seat. Someone like 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli won’t necessarily excite the sponsors.
Max Verstappen Pours Water On Toto Wolff’s Ambitious Pursuit!
In the aftermath of a full blown political crisis inside Red Bull Racing camp, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly listed Max Verstappen as a front runner for Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. However, the reigning F1 World Champion quickly doused Wolff’s hopes by confirming his desire to see the end of his term at Red Bull.
While addressing concerns about his future uncertainty at Red Bull, Max Verstappen confirmed nobody on the team is worried about his position. He has made it clear that he would stay until 2028. And anybody with second thoughts could willingly seek clarity only from him in person. With that, Mercedes has to sort out remaining options on the driver market to find a notable second driver for the 2025 season.
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