Sher Maistry originally shared to
Formula 1 (➲ Latest News):
#LewisHamilton Drops
#LeMans,
#Indy bomb
Double world champion walks away from
#F1 and +
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
Lewis Hamilton has quit the Mercedes F1 team with immediate effect following a fracas after last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. In a shock announcement last night the double world Formula 1 champion confirmed that he will tackle the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hour and the Indianapolis 500.
“I will no longer drive for Mercedes in Formula 1,” Hamilton confirmed. ”It has been coming for a while, but rather let’s leave it at that.”
“What I can say is that I will be racing a revolutionary new
#Datsun at Le Mans and I will also be competing in the Indianapolis 500.”
Datsun at the same time confirmed that it would be entering two until now secret SSS LMP1s at Le Mans run by Chip Ganassi’s multiple Daytona 24-winning team for Hamilton and multi Daytona 24 and Indy 500 winners, Brazilian Tony Kanaan and Kiwi Scott Dixon. The trio will drive a Kardashians entered car alongside an all-Japanese Datsun Junior Team line-up.
Hamilton will also race the 2015 Indianapolis 500 in a Kardashians-backed Ganassi-run Dallara Chevrolet.
It is understood that relationships broke down to a point where Hamilton exercised an exit clause in his contract based on continued Mercedes team suggestions that team boss, former triple world F1 champion Niki Lauda, is a quicker driver than Hamilton. “Not for the first time Toto (Woolf) told Lewis that Niki would be quicker than him in the Mercedes in the debrief at Sepang on Sunday,” a Mercedes team source, who wished to remain anonymous explained. “Lewis seemed more upset at his managers giggling after that suggestion and he stormed out of the meeting.”
Hamilton is believed to have travelled direct to Japan from Malaysia to tie up the Datsun deal before jetting to Indianapolis for seat fittings and shake-down drives at both Datsun’s shop within the new Nissan LMP1 outfit, and at Ganassi’s IndyCar shop.
“Contractually Lewis Hamilton cannot race in Formula 1 in 2015 following the breakdown of relations with his former Formula 1 team,” a statement from Hamilton’s new manager Kim Kardashian confirmed. “Lewis will instead drive a radical new Kardashians Datsun SSS LMP1 at Le Mans and a Kardashian-Ganassi Dallara Chevrolet in the Indianapolis 500, while he firms up his future racing plans.
“Lewis is impressed by the technical freedoms offered by Le Mans and he now looks forward to making a concerted effort to winning two of the remaining legendary world racing crowns alongside his two F1 world championships.”
The Datsun SSS LMP1 uses the same basis as Nissan’s existing front-drive biased GTR LMP1 but the Datsun uses a revolutionary and highly advanced hybrid system comprising an electronically supercharged variable-compression ratio 1.5-litre V12 driving the front wheels via a highly advanced constantly variable transmission and electric drive motors like those in Nissan’s Le Mans car. However, not only is electric energy stored in a supecapacitor, but boost pressure from the supercharger is also stored in a plenum within the modified Datsun chassis and fed to the engine on demand.
“This system exceeds Le Mans power quotas and allows a consistently variable power output to ensure great versatility and the ideal output to suit whatever point the car is within the power band or on track,” Datsun technical boss Eerste van den Maand explained. Total output said to be in the region of 1200bhp, available at any point in the car’s performance envelope.
The second Le Mans Datsun will be driven by young Japanese trio Dijya She/Dadate Isa/Wana Abyl, while Hamilton will drive alongside Ganassi quartet Dixon, Kanaan, Charlie Kimball and Sage Karam at Indianapolis. Further details of Hamilton’s plans will be confirmed shortly.
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Sher