As the 2025 Formula 1 season approaches, the sight of Lewis Hamilton donning Ferrari’s iconic red uniform has left Norbert Haug, former Mercedes motorsport boss, with a sense of melancholy. Haug has expressed his dismay at seeing Hamilton leave Mercedes, a team with which he has achieved monumental success, for the Italian giants.
Hamilton, who is gearing up for his inaugural season with Ferrari, made the surprising move to the Italian team on a multi-year contract, marking only the second switch of his distinguished career. His former transfer took place in 2013 when he made the move from McLaren to Mercedes.
Over the course of 12 seasons with Mercedes, Hamilton carved out an impressive legacy, matching Michael Schumacher’s record of seven World Championships in 2020, and becoming the first-ever driver to achieve 100 grand prix victories and pole positions in the subsequent year.
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes signifies a significant shift in his career – for the first time, he will be racing without a Mercedes engine. Until now, every single one of his 356 F1 starts has been powered by the German manufacturer, dating back to his debut season with McLaren in 2007.
Haug, who served as the head of Mercedes’ motorsport operations, had a crucial role in shaping Hamilton’s career through Mercedes’ partnership with McLaren. Although he missed the chance to collaborate with Hamilton at Mercedes’ F1 team based in Brackley, his recent meeting with Hamilton during the driver’s farewell tour at Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, brought back fond memories.
In an interview with Sky Germany, Haug admitted his sadness at seeing Hamilton in Ferrari’s colors, as he had always envisioned him ending his career with Mercedes. Despite this, he expressed full confidence in Hamilton’s potential to clinch an unprecedented eighth World Championship with Ferrari, stating that Hamilton will “give everything”.
The narrative of Hamilton’s career took a controversial turn in 2021 when he was denied his eighth title at the Abu Dhabi decider. Many believe that this title was “stolen” from him due to the race director’s incorrect implementation of the Safety Car rules, which enabled Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap. Since then, Hamilton’s performance has been somewhat subdued, with only two race wins since the start of the 2022 season.
Haug claimed that the 2021 title controversy triggered a “demolition” for both Hamilton and Mercedes, with numerous setbacks plaguing the team in the following years. Hamilton’s decision to part ways with Mercedes was perhaps influenced by these setbacks, including a winless season in 2023, which led him to activate a break clause and move to Ferrari.
Despite the recent challenges, Haug remains optimistic about Mercedes’ future, pointing to encouraging results from a pre-season test with the new W16 car in Bahrain. He concluded, “I think we are, as you know, just as good as we were in the last race.” This statement could hint at a potential resurgence for Mercedes in the near future, setting the stage for an exciting 2025 season.
