Sir Lewis Hamilton has announced that he will be leaving Mercedes at the end of 2022. The seven-time world champ is ending his nine-year stint with Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team. He has chosen not to renew his contract with the Silver Arrows and move on to a better team as he looks forward to the future. There have been rumors recently that the 37-year old might retire soon as he has been facing some mental and emotional issues lately. However, Lewis has no plans of leaving Formula One just as yet. Shockingly, Hamilton signed a contract with Mercedes’ rival Red Bull.
Hamilton will replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, whose contract is expiring at the end of 2022. Hence, there will be a vacant position for a top-tier driver. The news would have come as a big disappointment to Red Bull-owned Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly. He was being considered to be the number one contender to replace Sergio. However, to everyone’s surprise, Hamilton chose to make a move to Red Bull. So, what is the reason behind this drastic move, and why is he leaving Mercedes after nine long years of success?
Hamilton Feels Blessed About The Move To Red Bull:
Lewis Hamilton revealed that he is moving to Red Bull because of Max Verstappen. Verstappen is currently the world’s number one driver. Lewis is aware that he will be forced to play a supporting role during the 2023 season. Hamilton added, “That’s what convinced me to move from a manufacturer to an energy drink.”
Lewis thinks that moving to Red Bull will give a guarantee that he will always be behind Verstappen. Hamilton feels that even if he passes Max while the latter is boxing. Lewis will have the same team’s pit crew warning him if Verstappen is coming from behind.
Hamilton recalled the race at Monza from last year when he and Verstappen collided and crashed out of the Italian Grand Prix. Lewis remarked that the safest place on the grid is behind Verstappen. Surely, the British driver would not like the Dutchman over his helmet again.
Hamilton And Mercedes Have Differences Over The Choice Of Car:
Being behind Max is not the only reason Lewis had made a move to Red Bull. Hamilton is a Mercedes-AMG driver, and he has the luxury to choose any car he wants from the Benz range. Soon, the Mercedes AMGs will no longer come with V8 burble.
The Mercedes boss Toto Wolff informed Hamilton that a four-cylinder turbocharged hybrid would power the AMG C63 models. The British driver was looking to upgrade to a next-generation model when Wolff broke the news to him. At first, Hamilton thought that it was a joke, and Toto was messing with him. But, it all turned out to be true, and Lewis was left to hunt for a new car. Hamilton also shared that the fuel pump in his Pagani is way bigger than the new AMG C63 engine.
Luckily for Lewis, Red Bull is not a manufacturer like Mercedes. So, Hamilton can choose any car with the desired kind of modifications. When asked what he was looking to choose, Hamilton might be eyeing an appearance at the BMW M4 Competition. Lewis said, “At least it has an engine capacity larger than a Big Gulp.” Hopefully, the move from Mercedes will payout for Lewis and Red Bull. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ Christian Horton would be looking for another top-tier driver.