It was Ross Brawn and not Niki Lauda, who persuaded Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren to join Mercedes in 2013.

Having entered Formula 1 with McLaren in 2007, Hamilton’s move to Mercedes shocked the Formula 1 paddock as it was widely seen as a backwards step given the advantage McLaren had over Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton shocked F1 when he swapped McLaren for Mercedes

Time, though, proved Hamilton right as he went on to win six World titles with the Brackley squad to bring his overall tally to seven, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record.

Two-time Ferrari World Champion Lauda has long been credited for being integral in Hamilton’s decision, having spoken with the Briton after taking up a role within the team.

However, it wasn’t actually Lauda who convinced Hamilton of the Mercedes proje

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