168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes seemed inextricably linked, but one of the great F1 dynasties is coming to an end.

Until Thursday’s bombshell that Hamilton will join Ferrari on a multi-year deal in 2025, the prospect of him ev🌺er leaving Mercedes was unthinkable.

The 39-year-old had only signedಞ a new two-year deal with the German manufacturer last summer and whenever the subject of his F1 future cropped up, Hamilton asserted that he would remain with the team for the rest of his racing days.

As it turned out, even Hamilton’s seeming🐎ly undying loyalty to Mercedes had its breaking point, paving the way for a seis꧃mic decision and the biggest driver move in F1 history.

But why has Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes n🐽ow, for a Ferrari team that have been haunted by their failure to win an F1 title for the past 16 years.

Lost faith in Mercedes

Hamilton and Merce🐎des’ impending🅺 split marks the end of an era in F1.

The two parties formed the most successful partnership in F1 history from 2014-2020, with Hamilton winning six of his seven world cham🦋pionships during that period.

It is at Mercedes where Hamilton has become statisticall🔯y the greatest driver of all time, recording 82 of his 103 career race wins and 78 of his 104 pole positions.

Were it not for a narrow defeat to Nico Rosberg in 2016, or an incorrect decisiꦗon from race control at the 2021 Abu Dhabi finaﷺle, Hamilton would already have the outright record for most world championships.

Since Hamilton’s infamous title heartbreak, 🐻things have taken a drastic turn at Mercedes. Back-to-back flawed car designs led to two disappointing and winless campaigns for Hamilton, leaving him in unfamiliar territory.

Hamilton’s frustrations with Mercedes’ com🤪petitive slide, and decision-making in the design office, hav𝓰e steadily grown and over time, Mercedes have lost Hamilton’s trust.

Mercedes ha🤡ve lost several key personnel to rival teams in recent years, including Loic Serra, who has moved to… you guessed it… Ferrari. According to reports, Serra’s decision to quit Mercedes for Ferrari was a fundamental factor behind Hamilton’s own call.

The obvious lure of Ferrari

Part of 𒐪Hamilton’s decision was surely made due to the emotional appeal of Ferrari - a legendary brand a♒nd F1’s most famous team.

Hamilton’s decision to m🌼ove to Maranello marries the sport’s most successful driver with its most successful team. It is truly a box office switch and a dream scenario for F1.

Whether they admit it or not, every driver holds aspirations of one day driving Ferrari’s iconic scarl🅰et red cars♏, and it is clearly a prospect that has proved too good for the seven-time world champion to turn down. 

Hamilton w♋ill be 40 years old at the start of his first season with Ferrari, and perhaps that p💯layed a factor. He may not have had another opportunity to drive for the Scuderia.

A calculated risk

Hamilton has not ꦰjoined Ferrari based on the team’s immediate prospects.

Ferr🌳ari were beaten to second place in the constructors’ championship by Mercedes last year, though both teams have been fairly evenly matched over the ಌpast two seasons.

The stats show that Ferrari have held a slight advantage ཧover Mercedes since 2022 and the start of Red Bull’s domination. Ferrari have amassed five victories to Mercedes’ solitary win, taken 28 podiums to Mercedes’ 24, claimed 16 more poles, and outscored thei💟r rival by 36 points.

But Hamilton will also have𝓡 an eye on the future, and 2026’s looming engine regulation oveﷺrhaul.

Parallels can be drawn to Hamilton’s decꦐision to join Mercedes at the end of 2012 - ahead🐟 of a huge rule change in 2014 - to the one he has now made.

When Hamilton announced he was leaving McLaren, he had his fair share of doubters, but was proved emphatically right. This is arguably an even bigger gamble, but one Hamilton has made with courag💙e and conviction, suggesting Ferrari have presented a compelling case.

Will it prove to be another masterstroke?

Chance to emulate Schumacher

There is an🍰other factor to consider in this and that is Hamilton’s ongoing pursuit of a record eighth world title.

Achieving the feat would move him one world championship clear of Michael Schumacher in the al✤l-time list.

Try as they might, Ferrari have been unable to sh🐲ake off the unwanted drought since their last F1 title triumph with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. Even greats Fer♏nando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel failed in their attempts to turn around the Scuderia’s fortunes. 

Hami﷽lton will see the mouth-watering appeal for his own shot at restoring Ferrari to their former glory days, like Schumacher did in the mid-to💙-late 90s. Crowning success for Hamilton would see him become the first driver to win a world championship with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari.

It would💎 be a fitting final chapter to an illustrious caree🃏r.