adminDESPITE being chief executive of the Formula One group until 2017 controversial figure Bernie Ecclestone offered to ‘‘pay the difference’’ for Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes five years earlier.
Hamilton made his F1 debut for McLaren aged 22 and had instant success winning four races in his maiden season and then winning the driver’s championship the following season.
However, after four seasons where the British driver struggled to repeat his championship success Ecclestone offered to financially support manufacturer Mercedes to make Hamilton’s move happen.
Ecclestone has revealed a conversation he had with three-time world champion and one of the Mercedes bosses Niki Lauda.
Ecclestone ran the Brabham team in the 1970s and 80s before heading F1 itself for a number of decades. He appeared on the Disney+ documentary series titled “Lucky!” and spoke about the race for F1 teams to sign talented youngster Hamilton.
He said: “Niki (Lauda) realised what a valuable driver Lewis was, and he found some way of persuading him (Lewis Hamilton) he should be driving for Mercedes. If he didn’t get paid what he wanted, Lewis, he wasn’t going to agree.
British star Hamilton quickly rose through the development ranks and was part of the McLaren young driver programme from the age of 13. The youngster went on to dominate the national karting series before winning titles in the Formula Renault, Formula 3 and GP2 series.
Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes in 2012 was ridiculed by many, but Lauda and Ecclestone were proved right in their belief that the British driver should move.
Despite only winning one race in his maiden season with Mercedes the British star then went on an unstoppable run of six championship victories in seven years. – Daily Star.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter