Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has revealed how he inspired Mercedes to sign Lewis Hamilton in 2012.
When it was announced six years ago that Lewis Hamilton would leave McLaren for Mercedes, it was controversial.
Why did Lewis Hamilton move from then-still-title-challenging McLaren to Mercedes F1, which had only two wins since taking over from Brawn GP?
Lewis Hamilton was persuaded by the late Niki Lauda to join the team, but a dispute over compensation nearly halted the transfer.
To help with the move, former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has offered Lewis Hamilton a portion of his Mercedes F1 salary, according to the Discovery+ documentary Lucky!.
Bernie Ecclestone, who has worked with Niki Lauda throughout his F1 career, has agreed to facilitate a transfer if Mercedes cannot pay Lewis Hamilton the full salary he demands.
“Niki realized how valuable Lewis was and found a way to convince him that he should drive for Mercedes,” said Ecclestone.
“If he (Hamilton) wasn’t paid what he wanted, he wasn’t going to agree (to race for them).
“I said ‘I will pay the difference because he is the one Mercedes needs,’ but in the end Mercedes paid.”
For Lewis Hamilton, the move proved to be a huge success as he won six F1 world championships and helped Mercedes to eight constructors’ championships.
Category: F1 / Bernie Ecclestone / Lewis Hamilton / mercedes