Inside story of Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari switch from author embedded within Mercedes

Matt Whyman, writer of caller publication 'Inside Mercedes F1: Life successful the Fast Lane', gives Mirror Sport the wrong communicative connected Lewis Hamilton's determination to permission for Ferrari

Every Formula 1 instrumentality was near stunned connected February 1 this twelvemonth erstwhile Lewis Hamilton abruptly announced his program to articulation Ferrari.

But adjacent though some helium and brag Toto Wolff person explained however it each came astir internally, precise fewer genuinely cognize however things went down down the scenes astatine Mercedes. Matt Whyman is 1 of those people. For 18 months, helium was embedded wrong the team, eating, travelling and moving with unit for his caller book, Inside Mercedes F1.

So helium had a front-row spot to the interior workings of the eight-time constructors' champions - including the aftermath of Hamilton's bombshell. "Soon aft the announcement was the shakedown for the W15 astatine Silverstone. That was the archetypal accidental that beauteous overmuch the full squad got to spot Lewis," helium told Mirror Sport .

"It was a unusual ambiance for astir 30 seconds, I would accidental - but arsenic soon arsenic helium got successful the car it was concern arsenic usual. People came to presumption with it and I deliberation radical understood his reasons, which are precise simple, really."

Whyman recovered himself with an accidental millions would person lone dreamed of, truthful helium took his chance. He said: "I asked him straight what was going connected and helium conscionable said, ‘It is each kid's imagination who gets progressive successful centrifugal racing to contention a Ferrari, and that is it - I did not privation to get to the extremity of my vocation and look backmost and go, what if?’

"He says helium knows erstwhile the extremity of his vocation volition be. He has got this precise wide program up of him. He said it is truly meaningful to him, the information that helium has won each these races with Mercedes and helium has been connected this journey. The 1 happening helium had not done and helium conscionable thought, ‘I bash not privation to locomotion distant and go, I privation I had done that'."

In his book, Whyman tells of however Hamilton had described the meal with long-time brag Wolff, astatine which helium informed the Austrian of his program to permission Mercedes, arsenic the "hardest meeting" helium had been progressive in. But helium recovered adjacent tougher the task of telling his closest friends wrong the team, including contention technologist Peter 'Bono' Bonnington.

Whyman said: "His squad mean a large woody to him - each his engineers, Bono, each the team, they mean specified a batch to him. Every twelvemonth helium takes them paintballing, conscionable a pre-season bonding experience, and it was each acceptable up to spell truthful helium had to spell to the paintballing.

"He said to maine that helium arrived and helium saw them each waiting to spell in. He said helium could not get retired of the car for 20 minutes. He was conscionable truthful struck with, ‘What americium I going to accidental to them aft each of this time?’ He is precise human. I bash not deliberation this was a robotic decision.

"I cognize Lewis tin travel crossed arsenic precise focused and it is simply a focused decision, but helium is simply a quality being, helium knows that it has repercussions and connected a relationship level, that was the happening that helium cared astir about of all. Talking to his colleagues, I deliberation everyone understands. It is Ferrari, and this is simply a feline who has done everything - that is the 1 deliberation helium has not done."

This determination to Ferrari is not the archetypal clip Hamilton has made a bold power successful his F1 career. The Brit joined Mercedes from McLaren successful 2013 successful a determination wide questioned - helium was leaving an established, title-winning squad for a squad inactive successful its infancy. Of course, it turned retired to beryllium a masterstroke arsenic helium won six much titles portion McLaren were uncompetitive for galore years.

"He called upon that arsenic a benignant of a precedent, if you like," said Whyman. Back then, helium was younger and it was a harder determination to make, helium did not rather person the confidence.

"He is precise fond of McLaren, but helium says it was astir similar increasing up successful a location with your parents and past you go an big - you privation your independency and you privation your freedom, but you are inactive being treated similar you person not got that acold yet. His precedent was, ‘I person done this earlier and everyone said what are you doing? I person got to spell with my gut'."

Inside Mercedes F1: Life successful the Fast Lane by Matt Whyman, published by Century, is retired now.