As if the dramatic 2012 Formula 1 Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix was not startling enough for the avid F1 fans, they were again greeted with another piece of news that would probably be a game-changer for the race’s next season. In a shocking announcement, Lewis Hamilton, who had spent his astonishing career as a talented F1 driver in McLaren will be leaving his home team at the end of the 2012 season to the Mercedes formula 1 team.
This move will see him taking over the place of the seven-time Formula 1 prodigy Michael Schumacher, who he himself had just announced another shocking news in the form of him retiring from the sport for the second time.
“Although I am still able to compete with the best drivers, at some point it is good to say goodbye. It is not my style to go on if I am not 100% with it but with today’s decision I feel relieved”, said the 43-year-old German.
In the mean time, Hamilton revealed that the decision to leave McLaren was not an easy one to make, and the move was more in the form of the search for a new challenge rather than just for the money.
“It was not about the offer. I had two offers on the table which were very, very similar. Martin asked me what more they could have done. I said: ‘To be honest, Martin, it was about the new challenge and a step that I wanted to make’”, said Hamilton in Tokyo, ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix taking place in Suzuka this Sunday, October 7.
With Schumacher out from the race and Hamilton running with Mercedes, looks like the 2013 Formula 1 season will be filled with surprises. Any predictions of what is going to happen next year?
