So, it's official now

Jenson signed a contract with McLaren.
I'm not happy about this at all. But to be honest, I'm not as shocked as I expected to be, either.
After all the rumours floating around the last few days I did see it coming. I mean, who didn't? Even though I never stopped hoping that Jenson would stay with Brawn (or Mercedes) after all, I think I stopped believing it step by step over the last few days.
But I can't stop wondering why he did it.
I'm sure it wasn't primarily the money. Jenson stayed with Brawn last year. He bought himself out of a Williams contract when he thought that Honda could give him a better future a few years earlier. Why would he choose money over the best option now?
But somehow I can't believe that it was soley the new challenge either. A few weeks ago both, he and Ross Brawn, stated that they wanted to continue working together. Jenson went to hell and back with this team and he's shown such a remarkable loyalty. "McLaren are impressive and seemed like fun" just doesn't sound right, not as the sole reason to go there. Maybe I'm imagining things but a lot of what heard from Mercedes during the last few days sounded like they didn't really want Jenson in the team.
So what I really wanted for him, to stay with Brawn GP who just happen to belong to Mercedes now, could never happen. Because Brawn GP simply doesn't exists any more. Not only because they are called Mercedes now but because they don't feel like "my" team any more. It's like they're just gone, lost their soul, and I'm not sure I even like the new team that took their place.

So, under the circumstances, Jenson might have made the right decision. But it still feels like he made the right decision by choosing the lesser of two evils.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope that he's going to have an amazing time with McLaren and that I'll have to rethink my opinion of them. But at the moment I just can't trust them. Not after what happened with Juancho (or Alonso for that matter).

But if they can still built a race-winning car without Mercedes and if Jenson gets equal treatment I might just laugh about all my current worries in a few months time. That's some big ifs. But I know I'll follow Jenson whereever he goes and I won't give up hope because, really, Jenson's optimism is contagious.

So, it's official now

Jenson signed a contract with McLaren.
I'm not happy about this at all. But to be honest, I'm not as shocked as I expected to be, either.
After all the rumours floating around the last few days I did see it coming. I mean, who didn't? Even though I never stopped hoping that Jenson would stay with Brawn (or Mercedes) after all, I think I stopped believing it step by step over the last few days.
But I can't stop wondering why he did it.
I'm sure it wasn't primarily the money. Jenson stayed with Brawn last year. He bought himself out of a Williams contract when he thought that Honda could give him a better future a few years earlier. Why would he choose money over the best option now?
But somehow I can't believe that it was soley the new challenge either. A few weeks ago both, he and Ross Brawn, stated that they wanted to continue working together. Jenson went to hell and back with this team and he's shown such a remarkable loyalty. "McLaren are impressive and seemed like fun" just doesn't sound right, not as the sole reason to go there. Maybe I'm imagining things but a lot of what heard from Mercedes during the last few days sounded like they didn't really want Jenson in the team.
So what I really wanted for him, to stay with Brawn GP who just happen to belong to Mercedes now, could never happen. Because Brawn GP simply doesn't exists any more. Not only because they are called Mercedes now but because they don't feel like "my" team any more. It's like they're just gone, lost their soul, and I'm not sure I even like the new team that took their place.

So, under the circumstances, Jenson might have made the right decision. But it still feels like he made the right decision by choosing the lesser of two evils.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope that he's going to have an amazing time with McLaren and that I'll have to rethink my opinion of them. But at the moment I just can't trust them. Not after what happened with Juancho (or Alonso for that matter).

But if they can still built a race-winning car without Mercedes and if Jenson gets equal treatment I might just laugh about all my current worries in a few months time. That's some big ifs. But I know I'll follow Jenson whereever he goes and I won't give up hope because, really, Jenson's optimism is contagious.