Hamilton to leave for Mercedes 2013

[dave34m]

As long as he stays at Macca there will forever be doubters. It's just the way the world works.

Rubbish, he could stay his entire career with McLaren and it wouldn't matter at all. So what if he has always been in a top team, they don't give those seats to chumps who don't perform.

[Gerhardsa]

This rumour just refuses to die down hey?
I read an article (all though it was on Planet F1, but non the less) that states some more details on the move, and that Perez might be going to Mclaren if Hammy goes to Merc.
Merc also giving him nr 1 status? Will Nico and Keke settle for that? I doubt it big time!
anyhow..here is the article.
sorry i know id PF1, but anyhow
http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/80767 ... o-McLaren-

[Dragonfly]

........
He started at a top team and was given treatment within the team equal to that given to the two-time defending world champion. That's a platinum spoon, because it just doesn't get any better, and no current driver on the grid can claim such a start. In fact, only a precious few throughout the history of F1 have been given that kind of opportunity.
.....

Yes, that's a platinum spoon, useless to deny it.
Also, in my view Hamilton could match Alonso from the very beginning because, unlike Alonso, he has had countless hours simulator training. I've read at the time that he did an exhaustive preparation, working on simulated situations till his reaction and response became automatic. And I think there's a truth in it, because every time he found himself in a more complicated and non-standard situation he usually binned it. Like getting stuck in the gravel trap in China.
It was more or less OK until Monaco 2007 when he gave some food to the British media and the hell went loose. That, combined with the spy scandal and the inadequate behavior of Ron & Co. made a mess of the season in which they started with the best car and Raikkonen having to get used to the Ferrari.

[dave34m]

........
He started at a top team and was given treatment within the team equal to that given to the two-time defending world champion. That's a platinum spoon, because it just doesn't get any better, and no current driver on the grid can claim such a start. In fact, only a precious few throughout the history of F1 have been given that kind of opportunity.
.....

Yes, that's a platinum spoon, useless to deny it.
Also, in my view Hamilton could match Alonso from the very beginning because, unlike Alonso, he has had countless hours simulator training. I've read at the time that he did an exhaustive preparation, working on simulated situations till his reaction and response became automatic. And I think there's a truth in it, because every time he found himself in a more complicated and non-standard situation he usually binned it. Like getting stuck in the gravel trap in China.
It was more or less OK until Monaco 2007 when he gave some food to the British media and the hell went loose. That, combined with the spy scandal and the inadequate behavior of Ron & Co. made a mess of the season in which they started with the best car and Raikkonen having to get used to the Ferrari.

Yep Kimi got gifted a WDC by Alonsos appalling behavior. No question

[mzivtins]

I hate these silly things that sky's 'f1 pundits' keep coming out with. These stories that present their headlines as fact are just opinions that sky play of for hours at a time because they have nothing else to talk about on their weak, thin, cheesy coverage.

This morning on my Twitter feed i saw sky sports f1 say 'Further info that links Ham with a move to Merc'

I went to Autosport and saw nothing. And yes, all that sky were talking about is that one of its pundits made a point that in some ways the move could be of benefit to Ham...

I agree, i think if he moves to ANY other team it will give him a spice for change, if that is good for his title hopes we dont know, but it is very short sighted to try and make a move for the 2013 season when it all gets turned on its head in 2014.

I hate speculation. And sky put news out based on speculation. You could argue exactly the same from the bull about Perez moving to macca if Ham goes.

Whatever happens, i hope its a challenge for Ham, he needs a good challenge that will transform his ego as its still a bit too strong in what appears to be the wrong direction.

[beelsebob]

I really think this is getting out of control...

There's only two reasons why Hamilton would be in talks with Merc
1) To try to get McLaren to think there's another option available, and give him a better offer.
2) To get a 1 year deal in the hope of getting an RBR/Ferrari drive the following year.

[mzivtins]

I really think this is getting out of control...

There's only two reasons why Hamilton would be in talks with Merc
1) To try to get McLaren to think there's another option available, and give him a better offer.
2) To get a 1 year deal in the hope of getting an RBR/Ferrari drive the following year.

This sums it up perfectly, about the only sense i've read to do with this stupid story

[raymondu999]

What if Ross Brawn is trying to sweet talk Lewis into it? A while back he made a move (disguised as a challenge) on Vettel, saying that "maybe Vettel would like to build his own legacy by building a struggling team like Mercedes up."

He could be pulling the same card on Lewis...

[Hail22]

Looks to me like a strategy by Brawn to sell him the 2014 idea that they will be the "main" works team for the new V6 engine:

http://www.news.com.au/news/lewis-hamil ... 6474390639

So cash plus incentive of being first for development etc....interesting ploy/tactic, Will the Hamilton Herring Bite the Brawntail bait?

[elf341]

This whole thing has gotten out of control if you ask me. Motorsport and other misc journalist sources are merely regurgitating the same stuff over and over, trying to spin it in different ways to generate "new" headlines. "Ross Brawns tips Schumacher for management in 2013" is just a completely biased way of interpreting what actually happened, Ross was asked whether Schumacher could move into management and simply responded honestly that his skills would be of benefit to any team, particular Mercedes.

It must be a slow F1 news season at the moment. I must say though, I amazed at the versatility of journalists being able to take 1x of random opinion blurb from Eddie Jordan and produce 1000x of news content!

[skgoa]

I wholeheartily agree! It's gotten as bad as the pre-launch car threads. Nobody knows anything but people still fight over whatever they feel is right. By now I only glance at the last page of these kinds of threads to check, whether there is any news or it's just ten more pages of absolute garbage.

[bhall]

I really think this is getting out of control...

There's only two reasons why Hamilton would be in talks with Merc
1) To try to get McLaren to think there's another option available, and give him a better offer.
2) To get a 1 year deal in the hope of getting an RBR/Ferrari drive the following year.

Why is it out of the realm of possibility that he'd want to forge his own path at a new team long-term? That strategy appears to have paid considerable dividends for a certain seven-time World Champion.

For what it's worth, I don't think there's a chance in hell he ends up at Ferrari or Red Bull as long as those teams still employ Alonso and Vettel, respectively. Those are men who simply do not want that kind of challenge, and they have enough sway within their teams to ensure that it doesn't happen.

An for those who decry this sort of speculation: relax. This forum is built upon speculation. All you have to do is divorce yourself from emotional attachments, and this stuff gets a whole lot easier.

[xpensive]

...
Why is it out of the realm of possibility that he'd want to forge his own path at a new team long-term? That strategy appears to have paid considerable dividends for a certain seven-time World Champion.
...

As munudeges xplained on the MGP team thread, it might be a push-pull situation where McLaren is happy to see him go.

[bhall]

That, too, has merit.

[xpensive]

And in that case, MGP is his only realistic option, Alonso, Vettel or Kimi would never accept him as team-mate.