Lewis Hamilton made one of the most difficult decisions of his career in 2012 when he left McLaren to join Mercedes. He’d been part of the team’s set-up since he was a child.
McLaren gave Hamilton his Formula 1 debut in 2007, and he won the world championship in their colours a year later. It seemed as if they could build a dynasty.
But McLaren collapsed at the start of the 2009 season, and while they later recovered to a race-winning level, they weren’t able to furnish Hamilton with a contending car again.
Whether it was because of his own mistakes, poor reliability or simply a lack of pace relative to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, his last four seasons were filled with frustration.
| CATEGORY | STAT | MCLAREN RANK |
| Races | 110 | 5th |
| Championships | 1 | =4th |
| Wins | 21 | 3rd |
| Poles | 26 | =2nd |
| Podiums | 49 | 5th |
As he approached the end of his contract in 2012, he held negotiations with Mercedes and agreed to join the unproven German manufacturer. It was a long-term move with an eye on the 2014 regulation changes, and it proved to be a masterstroke.
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes gave him more fashion ‘freedom’ than McLaren
In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Hamilton spoke about his interest in fashion. He’s known for entering the paddock in carefully-chosen outfits rather than simply wearing team gear.
During his time at McLaren under Ron Dennis, he was expected to don their merchandise at all times. And surprisingly, he says these restrictions factored into his decision to leave.
Mercedes made clear he would enjoy more ‘freedom’ if he made the move. Hamilton was a co-chair at the iconic Met Gala event earlier this year.
“I could not do it [express myself through fashion], and that is probably one of the reasons why I left,” he said.
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“I had signed at Mercedes before Toto was involved in the discussions. But they gave me this freedom and, by collaborating with him, he understood.”
Lewis Hamilton’s genius choice of attire at his final race for Mercedes
Hamilton left Mercedes at the end of last year to join Ferrari. At his final race for the team in Abu Dhabi, he used his clothes to symbolise the transition.
He arrived at Yas Marina in white, the predominant colour of Mercedes’ teamwear. The following day, his outfit blended white and red, and he finished the weekend in all red.
Hamilton told L’Equipe that this transition was very deliberate. The excitement over his move to Maranello was enormous, and this was a subtle nod that still showed respect to his long-time employers.
“I have always liked that,” he said. “It is important to have been able to express myself as I intended. It made me happier, I could be myself most of the time.”