1. MARCH 2013 TELESCOPE 53
Sports Feature
52 TELESCOPE MARCH 2013
A
As McLaren come to terms with the loss of their one-
time darling Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes, Sham Majid
delves into the ongoing Mercedes revolution and their
obsession to create a successful new car.
and industry know-how will stand
Hamilton in good stead as the Briton
conspires to work closely with the
former in building a competitive
car. More pertinently, Mercedes are
already gearing up to hand Hamilton
a massive advantage when new
engine rules are implemented in the
2014 season.
Making Himself
at Home
While it has been acknowledged
that Hamilton’s Mercedes will find
the going tough in 2013 to keep up
with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari
in terms of raw pace, Mercedes
are already looking towards the
2014 season. In fact, Mercedes’
car designers are already deeply
involved in working with the power
plant manufacturers, hence painting
Alas, the puppy love that
once encapsulated Lewis
Hamilton’s relationship
with McLaren has failed
to mature into a happily-
ever-after affair.
While there were swirling
murmurs that Hamilton’s 14-year
alliance with McLaren was getting
increasingly fractious as the 2012
season progressed, few actually
expected the 2008 Formula One
champion to quit the team he
idolised as a child, especially since
the Woking-based outfit nurtured
Hamilton from his early karting
days. “It’s to do with the process
of growing up, of leaving home,”
Hamilton revealed in an exclusive
interview with The Daily Mail in
Dec 2012. “That’s why I’m taking
the next step, to grow as a driver
and as a human being.”
Mercedes Signs
on Hamilton…
Mercedes jumped at the chance to
satiate Hamilton’s burning desire
for a speed machine capable of
delivering titles. According to a
report by The Independent, Hamilton
signed a three-year contract worth
a whopping £15million per season.
Despite the mind-boggling figures,
people are still perplexed: why would
the British speedster dump the
consistently competitive McLaren for
Mercedes, which has tasted just one
victory in the three years since its full
return in 2010?
Hamilton’s comments in Oct
2012 further baffled ardent F1 fans.
When The Daily Mail asked whether
he could secure a win, he said, “It’s
2014 and 2015 when I anticipate
we will have most success. I am
well aware we don’t have the best
car and it will take a lot of work to
improve it.”
His calm and candid confession
is a contrast to his constant lament
throughout his final campaign with
McLaren about his side’s lack of
speed against Ferrari and Red Bull.
Hamilton eventually finished fourth
in the 2012 drivers’ standings,
while McLaren were third in the
constructor’s standings. Mercedes,
meanwhile, were stranded in fifth
spot, with their drivers, Michael
Schumacher and Nico Rosberg,
finishing 13th
and 9th
respectively.
…And Other F1 Giants
Nevertheless, recent developments
in the F1 fraternity and within the
Mercedes juggernaut have renewed
optimism regarding Hamilton’s
Hamilton
Moves
House
F1 Transfer Shocker!
defection. According to a BBC
report, Mercedes announced the
appointment of Austrian Toto Wolff
as the team’s executive chairman
and head of motorsport in Jan 2013.
Wolff, formerly from Williams,
will join hands with F1 legend Niki
Lauda, widely tipped as the man
who masterminded Hamilton’s
departure from McLaren. Then
there is Mercedes team principal
Ross Brawn, the main man behind
Schumacher’s seven world titles
at Benetton and Ferrari as well as
Jenson Button’s 2009 triumph.
Hamilton must be aching for
the opportunity to work with one of
F1’s greatest technical wizards, and
Brawn’s vast experience on the grid

2. “Iamsurehe
willbeabletowin.Heisa
While the furore over Lewis
Hamilton’s exit from McLaren
continues, the British racing giants
have drafted Sergio Perez to
replace him.
Perez, who has been with
Sauber for two years, will line
up with Jenson Button in what
is widely viewed as a synergy
between an up-and-coming
hotshot and a seasoned operator.
Team principal Martin
Whitmarsh lavished praise on
his new recruit, admitting that
Perez caught his eye after a string
Mexican Maestro
McLaren’s new blue-eyed boy—and Hamilton’s
replacement—is Sergio Perez.
a backdrop where Hamilton could be
presented with a headstart should
McLaren continue their engine
partnership with the Silver Arrows
beyond 2013.
Unsurprisingly, Hamilton has
already paid a visit to the Mercedes’
High Performance Powertrains
facility, and is reported to be
interested in the design of the
power units that could play a key
role in propelling him towards F1
glory. Hamilton has also acquainted
himself with his new Mercedes
employers when he made an
appearance at the Mercedes-Benz
museum and factory in Stuttgart
in late January. It was clear that,
following his meeting with his new
colleagues, Hamilton hummed
a vastly more positive tune. “I
think this year is going to be an
interesting year, an interesting
journey, but I think it’s going to be
a journey we enjoy,” he told The
Independent. “I live to win. That’s
what I work towards every year,
so that’s what we’re going to work
towards this year.”
A trip to Brackley, the Mercedes
F1 base, in the early part of
December proved to be another
good move for Hamilton. “I was
of sterling drives in the previous
campaign: “It was a string of giant-
killing performances... that showed
us that Sergio lacks nothing in terms
of speed and commitment.”
Now that he’s part of the team,
Whitmarsh is keen to refine and
develop Perez’s abilities over the
coming years. “He’s perfectly poised
to develop into a world championship
challenger. His addition to the team
provides us with the perfect two-
pronged driver line-up for the new
season,” Whitmarshes insisted.
Perez himself is chuffed at the
prospect of turning out for one of
F1’s most respected teams. “I’m
thrilled and delighted to have
become a McLaren driver,” he said.
“The McLaren name is one of the
greatest in the history of Formula
One. I was brought up on the great
stories of Ayrton Senna’s many world
championship triumphs for McLaren,
and I’m truly honoured that they’ve
chosen me to partner Jenson from
2013 onwards.”
asking lots of questions, trying to
get as involved as I can in the limited
time that I was there,” he disclosed.
“It was great to see how enthusiastic
everyone was. It looked like there
was incredible determination to
turn this around. That gave me a
lot of motivation for my winter.”
However, he has some
catching up to do: “Of course it’s
going to be tough to compete
with the guys who are already
at the front—the Red
Bulls, the McLarens, the
Ferraris—but I don’t think
it’s impossible.”
Alonso Vouches
For Him
Hamilton’s long-time adversary,
Fernando Alonso, bristled at
suggestions that his former
teammate will struggle in a car
widely perceived to be inferior. “I
am sure he will be able to win,” the
Spaniard was quoted by The Straits
Times. “He is a super-good driver
because he won every year with any
car—he won in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009, [McLaren] started two
seconds off the pace and Hamilton
was able to win races, and it was
the same in 2010.” Alonso added,
WHEN?
Formula One
15–18 Mar
STAR Sports (CH 209)
super-gooddriver.”
“Last year, we saw Nico Rosberg
winning in China with Mercedes. So
with Hamilton, he will be able to win
more than one race.”
54 TELESCOPE MARCH 2013