Even though a lot of things can be predicted in Formula 1, most of the things cannot be. One of the biggest examples of this is Helmut Marko’s comments that he made when Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes from McLaren in 2013. As we all know, by adding 6 more titles to his name, Hamilton proved everyone wrong, including the Red Bull boss.
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In 2012, a jubilant Helmut Marko told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, “Niki has done us a favor.”
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Late Niki Lauda, who moved to Mercedes that year himself had managed to convince the Briton to leave McLaren and move to Mercedes prior to the 2013 season.
The 79-year-old supremo further stated ten years back, “He has weakened Lewis and McLaren. Next year [in 2013]we have two opponents less.”
Interestingly, Red Bull, who were dominating force during the time, often received stiff resistance from the Woking-based team.
Apart from the competition from Ferrari, Red Bull faced challenges from McLaren. Hamilton, who was the star driver for the British team back then, did challenge Red Bull. But with his move to Mercedes, many thought McLaren, as well as Lewis Hamilton, would turn weak.
Lewis Hamilton proved Helmut Marko and many others wrong
As Marko, Red Bull’s senior executive was expecting a “weak” Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, things turned out exactly opposite to his expectations. With Lewis Hamilton picking up back-to-back championships, he ended Red Bull’s reign.
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As the Red Bull dominance was over by 2013, the Austrian team was no more the dominant force on the track in 2014. With new regulations, the Brackley-based team became a force that left everyone in awe.
With the 37-year-old driver picking up 11 wins that season, and his teammate Nico Rosberg five, it was a whole different level of dominance from Mercedes. The duo not only picked up 18 pole positions out of 19 races but also took home 31 combined podiums in 2014 alone.
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Moving forward, the Mercedes F1 team picked up back-to-back eight constructors’ championships and Hamilton picked up six drivers’ championships. As things stood, moving to Mercedes in 2013 was probably the best decision the Briton ever made in Formula 1.
