When Lewis Hamilton made the bold decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes in 2013, the move sparked widespread doubt and criticism in the F1 world. At the time, Mercedes was not the dominant team and many believed Hamilton was taking a significant risk by leaving a race-winning team.
12 years later, Hamilton is reflecting on that decision with a sense of pride and accomplishment. In a YouTube clip titled ‘One Last Lap’ by Mercedes-AMG, the Briton shared his thoughts on what it has meant to spend more than a decade with the Brackley-based team.
He expressed gratitude for the partnership that brought him immense success, including six of his seven world championships. The 39-year-old also acknowledged the critics who questioned his move and how satisfying it has been to prove them wrong.
“The moment that stands out the most is probably that every single race of mine has been powered by AMG,” Hamilton shared. “Winning the first world championship together, in 2014, was very special. People doubted us. They thought joining Mercedes was the worst decision I could make.”
“But I knew — For me, this is firstly my family. My intuition told me it was the right thing to do, and it definitely was,” he concluded.
Back in 2013, Mercedes was still rebuilding and had secured just one race win since returning as a works team in 2010. Many questioned whether Hamilton was prioritizing financial incentives over competitiveness.
#F1 – #OnThisDay in 2012, the team announced @LewisHamilton for the 2013 season.
In only his second race, he secured a podium in Malaysia with P3. Just eight races later, he took his first win in Hungary.
The rest is history. #LH44 #WeLivePerformance pic.twitter.com/XnZzwK5v4R
— Mercedes-AMG Motorsport (@amgmotorsport) September 28, 2024
However, Hamilton trusted his instincts and the vision of the great Niki Lauda, who played a major part in convincing the Briton to join the Brackley-based squad. That leap of faith paid off spectacularly as Hamilton’s partnership with Mercedes became one of the most dominant eras in F1 history.
From 2014 to 2021, Mercedes won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, and Hamilton claimed six Drivers’ titles during that period. As the #44 driver now prepares for another major career move — joining Ferrari in 2025 — he would want to emulate his exploits from his heyday at the Silver Arrows in what could become an iconic chapter of his career.
