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“It was difficult especially when you could hear their voice”- When Lewis Hamilton opened up about the exact moment he decided to leave McLaren for Mercedes

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"It was difficult especially when you could hear their voice"- When Lewis Hamilton opened up about the exact moment he decided to leave McLaren for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton revealed that leaving McLaren for Mercedes was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but it bore sweet fruit in the end. 

Many people felt like Hamilton’s move to Mercedes in 2013 was ill-timed. McLaren were a race winning team and Mercedes were still finding their feet in F1. However, we all know how history unfolded, fast-forward to 2022.

Hamilton ended up winning six World Titles with Mercedes, and established his status as one of the, if not the greatest F1 driver of all time. Now 37-years old, the Brit is still going strong at the Silver Arrows.

In an interview with Graham Bensinger, the Mercedes star opened up about his departure from McLaren. He started by revealing the exact moment he made the call.

“I was in Thailand and I was sitting by the pool,” he said. “It was the heat of the moment and I had to make the decision. Time was against me and Mercedes was pushing for an answer.”

“For some reason, I came to a very peaceful moment. I was looking over the sea and the sun was setting. There were really beautiful islands in the distance and…it just came to me.”

Also read: Red Bull sees problem with Lewis Hamilton amidst Mercedes 2022 struggles

Letting his McLaren bosses know that he was joining Mercedes was very tough for Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton had made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2007. In his very first year with the Surrey based outfit, he took the sport by storm and narrowly missed out on the World Title. The following year, he did make history by winning it.

For a team that had nurtured him since he was a small child, it was extremely hard for Hamilton to leave them. He talks about the moment he had to let his team bosses know that he was joining Mercedes.

“Oh, it was horrible,” the seven-time Champion said. “I had known Martin (Whitmarsh) and Ron (Dennis) since I was 13. To have to call them and say, I’m leaving was difficult, especially when you could hear their voice.”

“Someone who has been with you for so long, has nurtured, helped me get into Formula 1, for sure they felt betrayed. But I think they understood what I needed to do for me, as a man. And they respected that.”

Hamilton made the move to Mercedes to sacrifice small term success in favor of long term stability. Now, he’s a part of a team, that has dominated F1 for the last eight years, so it’s safe to say that the decision he made was the right call for him.

Also read: Throwback to when Lewis Hamilton was awarded a WWE Championship belt by legend Triple H

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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