Lewis Hamilton was revealed to be telling the truth when he said during a lie detector test last year that he would remain in F1 until he wins an eighth Drivers’ Championship. His determination to break new ground speaks volumes about why he has chosen to ditch Mercedes for Ferrari, and on current form, the decision looks to be a good one.
Despite cleaning up in all but two seasons between 2014 and 2021, Hamilton has been forced to set his sights considerably lower than winning another world title over the past two-and-a-half years.
In fact, the seven-time world champion has not even won a Grand Prix since 2021, with Mercedes unable to get a firm grip on the current ground effect design regulations. Now, Hamilton has come clean on the fact he has ‘had enough’ of watching everyone else fight for victories.
The striking admission, and Hamilton’s decision to risk tarnishing his relationship with Mercedes by agreeing to join Ferrari next year, stems from his undying hunger to break clear of Michael Schumacher and win an eighth world title.
That much became clear when Sky Sports hooked him up to a lie detector last year. When asked whether he plans to remain in the sport until he wins another Championship, Hamilton paused, responded ‘yes’ and was deemed to be telling the truth.
Just 11 months later, it emerged that Hamilton had agreed a multi-year deal with Ferrari. And while some felt that the 39-year-old committed to the move to fulfil a childhood dream, looking back to the lie detector test and considering he may not have long left at the top level suggests that clinching another title is the key motivation.
Hamilton reiterated after the Miami Grand Prix: “For me, this whole journey has been massively emotional just because I have so much love for this team. I’m not leaving because I’m unhappy there. I’m not leaving because of relationship issues.
“Mercedes supported me since I was 13 so I love the brand. I love the people. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. So it’s definitely a strange transition at the moment.”
Returning to the top of the pile would require Hamilton to knock Max Verstappen off his perch. Doing so could be nigh on impossible, with the Dutchman winning the last three Drivers’ Championships and well on his way to securing a fourth.
The gulf was apparent again in Miami as, despite Verstappen taking a rare second place behind Lando Norris, and a safety car bunching up the field midway through the race, the Red Bull star still finished almost 10 seconds clear of Hamilton in P6.
