Lewis Hamilton’s pole position in China is further proof that the 28-year-old made the right choice leaving his long-term team, McLaren.
The Briton will start Sunday’s race at the very front, marking his first pole for his new team since he joined just a handful of months ago.
Asked if Saturday’s result was evidence that those who doubted his move had been proven wrong, he replied: “You can’t really answer it in one result but definitely, bit by bit, the more and more we impress and improve they have to stand to be corrected.
“Today is such a blessing to be here because it was such a big change for me and a big step for me. I think I made the right choice,” he added.
Hamilton insists his decision was based on Mercedes’s future prospects rather than money.
“It has been a dream start to the year for me at Mercedes,” he wrote in his BBC column. “It was such a huge decision for me to come to this team – especially when I knew I had such a good car at McLaren, and from what I could see it looked like they would have another good car this year.
“I moved for the right reasons. People couldn’t see that, and they said I only went for one thing, which was money. But the fact is I had more money offered to me at McLaren so it wasn’t a money situation. It was the sheer experience and trying to optimise my capabilities somewhere else.”
He did however admit it was “sad” to see his former team struggling after they could only manage 8th and 11th on Saturday.
“I still have a real soft spot for McLaren. They got me to F1, there will always be a place for them in my heart and I would never wish anything negative on them. It is sad for me to see they are struggling this year and I have no doubt they will improve and get back to the front.
“But I am only focusing on myself and the team. I’ve realised Mercedes have made a huge step in developing the car and we are able to compete with Ferrari and Red Bull. It is just the most satisfying experience and maybe we are not winning just yet but I see a great future for this team. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”
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