Whether he knows it or not, Lewis Hamilton has taken a step into history. His move to Mercedes-Benz will disappoint those who enjoyed the sight of a British driver in a British team, but he is following in some big wheeltracks.
Some will question his motives, accusing him deserting the team that nurtured him from the age of 13 in order to benefit from a deal offering him greater control of his image rights but no guarantee of a race-winning car. From another point of view, however, his decision is potentially a stimulating one for the sport and its fans.
Next to Ferrari, Mercedes is the most potent name in motor sport – and it goes back a lot further in the story of motor racing. A car bearing the three-pointed star won the last grand prix to be held before the first world war in 1914. British drivers have a special connection with the team and Hamilton's arrival will link him to a thread begun before the second world war by Richard Seaman and continued in the 1950s by Stirling Moss.
In 1937, at the height of the Silver Arrows' dominance of European racing, Mercedes's management recruited Seaman, then the young star of British motor racing. The 24-year-old's decision was criticised in some quarters, not least by his mother, who did not want him to join a team then subsidised by the National Socialist government, but his victory at the Nürburgring the following year, when he beat the team's German drivers in their home race, was as significant a step for British motor racing as Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France victory this year was for British cycling.
Educated at Rugby, Cambridge and the Brooklands track, Seaman was the very model of the debonair pre-war racing driver. In 1939, however, he was killed when his car hit a tree and caught fire during the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. He had been leading the race when the accident occurred.
Sixteen years later the team recruited Moss to race alongside Juan Manuel Fangio, the reigning world champion, in a team whose dominance was reflected in their ability to fill all the places on the podium. Vastly impressed by the team's unmatched attention to detail, Moss followed in the great Argentinian's tracks for much of the 1955 season but on a memorable afternoon at Aintree he became the first home driver to win the British Grand Prix, with Fangio a short head behind. In one of the legendary drives of motor racing history, Moss also won the classic Mille Miglia in a Mercedes sports car.
The tragedy at Le Mans that year, when 82 people were killed after one of the team's cars ploughed into the crowd, prompted Mercedes to withdraw at the end of the season. Their gradual return to Formula One began in the early 1990s, when they began to supply engines to various teams – including McLaren.
Two years ago they bought the Brawn team and renamed it, giving Michael Schumacher the opportunity to make his comeback. Although their performances to date have yet to live up to their past achievements, a top‑quality technical team based at Brackley in Northamptonshire and led by Ross Brawn should be capable of providing Hamilton with the equipment he needs.
It should not be forgotten that Hamilton is not exactly stepping into unknown territory. Every one of his 20 grand prix victories has been achieved with a Mercedes engine in his car. He knows the company and is well aware of the quality of their engineering. He and his manager, Simon Fuller, will also have been influenced by the power of their marketing department to enhance his image around the world.
Like every major manufacturer venturing into motor sport, Mercedes is subject to the fluctuations of the marketplace. A bad couple of years for worldwide sales of its saloons and 4x4s could prompt a reassessment of its involvement. But Hamilton must has been given reassurance, at the very highest level, of its commitment over the foreseeable future.
As far as the sport's box-office appeal is concerned, a shake-up is seldom a bad thing. Hamilton gets the chance to step out of a comfortable environment and test himself in a different setting. Mercedes have a driver who will pressure them to deliver the goods.
Meanwhile, McLaren are recruiting the bright young talent of Sergio Pérez to set alongside the experience of Jenson Button. Bernie Ecclestone will not be alone in rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of the interest that will be generated by the reshuffle at the first race of 2013.