So Lewis is leaving McLaren...
BBC News: Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren for Mercedes
I'm pretty gutted to hear this, I have to confess. It's not so much Lewis leaving McLaren, although that does make me sad. Once upon a time I would have hated to see him leave, full stop, but I can understand why he is leaving. They've jerked him around, let him down, treated him like a petulant child instead of an adult with real concerns. I think having grown up there, there are some people who will always see him as the kid who came up with them, instead of a title-winning adult driver.
So it's not so much him leaving McLaren. I just wish I could be sure he was leaving for a team that has a real shot of winning titles, and I just don't see Mercedes as that team. I don't see how a Mercedes car, even with Lewis at the wheel, can be up there challenging for position with the McLarens, Red Bulls and Ferraris. This feels like a step down for Lewis, and it must surely say something about how unhappy he is at McLaren that he'd feel he has to take a step down just to get away.
I could be wrong. I hope I am. I hope this is a chance for Lewis to show how amazing a driver he is, that it's not just the luck of a good car, that a mediocre car with Lewis behind the wheel can still rival the cars of the Big Three. And maybe it's a long-term view, maybe Mercedes will come good. They did win a title as Brawn not so long ago.
But...I just don't see it. I almost wonder if Mercedes are just a placeholder for Lewis, a chance to get away until a spot opens up at Red Bull or Ferrari.
I'm pretty gutted to hear this, I have to confess. It's not so much Lewis leaving McLaren, although that does make me sad. Once upon a time I would have hated to see him leave, full stop, but I can understand why he is leaving. They've jerked him around, let him down, treated him like a petulant child instead of an adult with real concerns. I think having grown up there, there are some people who will always see him as the kid who came up with them, instead of a title-winning adult driver.
So it's not so much him leaving McLaren. I just wish I could be sure he was leaving for a team that has a real shot of winning titles, and I just don't see Mercedes as that team. I don't see how a Mercedes car, even with Lewis at the wheel, can be up there challenging for position with the McLarens, Red Bulls and Ferraris. This feels like a step down for Lewis, and it must surely say something about how unhappy he is at McLaren that he'd feel he has to take a step down just to get away.
I could be wrong. I hope I am. I hope this is a chance for Lewis to show how amazing a driver he is, that it's not just the luck of a good car, that a mediocre car with Lewis behind the wheel can still rival the cars of the Big Three. And maybe it's a long-term view, maybe Mercedes will come good. They did win a title as Brawn not so long ago.
But...I just don't see it. I almost wonder if Mercedes are just a placeholder for Lewis, a chance to get away until a spot opens up at Red Bull or Ferrari.