“Everyone has an expiration date. » Even Lewis Hamilton. Speaking to author Matt Whyman in a book entitled “Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane”, Mercedes F1 director Toto Wolff explained why Lewis Hamilton's departure to Ferrari had removed a potential thorn in your side. This allowed him not to have to ask himself the question of renewing the Briton, seven-time world champion, in the event of disappointing performances. “I like the situation […] It avoids the moment when we have to tell the most emblematic driver of the discipline that we want to stop,” explains Wolff, in comments reported by motorsport.
A short contract as a precaution
The book, which covers the difficult 2023 season and the start of 2024, therefore evokes the moment when Hamilton, who had signed a short contract “of one year and more” in 2023, chose to leave McLaren for Ferrari. “There’s a reason we only signed a one-year plus contract,” Wolff said. “We are in a sport where cognitive acuity is extremely important, and I believe everyone has an expiration date. »
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Arriving at Mercedes in 2013, Hamilton, 40 years old next January, is competing this year in his 12the season for the German team. Of his seven world titles, six were won with Mercedes, collecting 84 victories, 78 pole positions and 152 podiums. At the end of the season, the Briton will close a chapter of his rich career, before starting a new one with Ferrari.
