Former McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, is a man who settled for nothing less than excellence. The drive within Dennis to chase excellence was so high that he even went to the extent of hiring a neuroscientist to ensure maximum utilization of the talents of Lewis Hamilton, as revealed by Frank Worrall in the book ‘Lewis Hamilton: Triple World Champion – The Biography.‘
“Big Ron had hired Dr Kerry Spackman, a New Zealand-born neuroscientist, apparently to turn the boy into a race-winning machine.”
Often engaging in studying a racing driver’s psychology, Dr. Spackman understood that while one car could be faster than the other, it did not guarantee the faster car a race win. According to his research, a driver and his driving would eventually become the key to achieving better speed and a greater result. As such, Dennis, who will be knighted by King Charles III this year, brought in Dr. Spackman to help a young Hamilton realize the same and focus on improving his overall skills rather than banking upon raw speed.
In 2007, McLaren and Hamilton agreed on a contract that saw him earn close to $320k per race with an additional amount of nearly $4500 for every championship point he would score. However, given his incredible debut season, McLaren tore up the contract and offered him a five-year extension deal, which saw him earn over $45.5 million across the tenure. They gave him complete access to some of the time’s best facilities, including the racing simulator, to ensure the Briton would perform at the optimum level and bring home multiple championships.
The gamble worked wonders for McLaren in 2008, when Hamilton picked his first-ever drivers’ world championship. However, the next four years did not come bearing similar news, and a switch to Mercedes after 2012 saw Hamilton reach heights he could never reach at McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton leaving McLaren for Mercedes was one of the best moves in F1 history
Following the 2007 season, the McLaren team set off on a steady decline despite winning the 2008 drivers’ championship. The infamous Spygate incident set the precedent for McLaren’s downfall, which was further aided by a regulation change in 2009, rendering McLaren unable to catch up to the rest of the field. From 2009 to 2011, Hamilton continued to perform well and secure points for his team, but it was never enough. McLaren would come close to fighting for the title in 2012, but a prime Sebastian Vettel ensured he and Red Bull would take home the championships.
In 2013, Mercedes announced Hamilton would be driving for them from that season on. Most F1 experts and pundits frowned upon the idea of the partnership and believed it would lead to disaster. However, over a decade since the move, the 38-year-old has won six drivers’ championships with the team, while Mercedes secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships, making their association one of the most iconic partnerships in the history of F1.
