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In F1, talent and hard work tend to determine success more often than not. Having said that, just like everything else in life, you need a stroke of luck and precise decision-making to put yourself in the best position to succeed.
There are often moments in one's career when one can look back at the decisions they've made and how those proved pivotal in terms of determining success or failure.
In the career of far too many F1 legends, this is something that stands out as well. More often than not an entire career or legacy can be determined based on the decisions one has made in his journey.
There are far too many examples of such decisions proving to be the cornerstone of many drivers' careers in F1. There are decisions that these legends have taken which has led to their career being either very successful or completely falling off the rails.
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#1 Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes
One has to assume what would have happened if Lewis Hamilton did not win sign the dotted line in 2012 and join Mercedes.
The Brit arguably made the best decision that any driver has made in their career and he did so at the most precise moment. He moved to Mercedes in 2013 and from that point onwards McLaren has not been the same.
On the other side, he joined Mercedes at the beginning of F1's most dominant era and that same period made his career as well. People tend to forget that Hamilton was at a crossroads when he joined Mercedes.
Looking back, that has to be the decision that defined his career.
#2 Michael Schumacher to Ferrari
This one was more of a slow burn because Michael Schumacher did not win a title with Ferrari for five years but what made this a career-defining move was that the German was in a position to sign with any of the top teams at the time and win with them.
He chose a completely different path and built a legacy by reviving a brand that was very unsuccessful at that time.
Winning five consecutive F1 titles in a team that had not won a title for the last two decades was unprecedented and set up his long-term legacy.
#3 Max Verstappen picking Red Bull over Mercedes
Not many remember how big a battle it was between Mercedes and Red Bull when it came to securing Max Verstappen's future in 2014. Everyone already knew that the Dutch driver was the next big thing in F1 and it was this driver whose services had to be secured.
Both Toto Wolff and Helmut Marko tried to get hold of Max Verstappen but in the end, the decision came down to the opportunity that the two teams could provide. Red Bull could fast-track Verstappen to F1 but Mercedes couldn't and hence he went with the Austrian team.
While it worked out great for Red Bull, one can't deny it worked out for Verstappen as well. There's no denying that the Dutchman needed some time to mature after he debuted and it was during this time that Horner and Marko put their faith behind and built a team around him.
At Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton already at the helm, this was never going to happen and Verstappen might not have had the perfect time to grow and become the driver he is right now and the environment he has around him.
While Red Bull gained significantly from Verstappen signing with them, so did the driver.
#4 Fernando Alonso leaving Ferrari
Fernando Alonso has said no to a lot of teams in his career and it should not come as a surprise because the Spaniard was the sought-after asset at his peak. It was during this time as well that he was approached by Christian Horner to drive for Red Bull.
It was during 2008-09, and at the time Alonso was also juggling an offer from Honda (with Ross Brawn) and an offer from Ferrari as well. While it did appear sensible enough to go with Ferrari at the time, as it turned out, this was not the right decision.
Red Bull was the team to be at during the early 2010s and Alonso had missed the ship.
#5 Alain Prost pushing for Ayrton Senna to be his F1 teammate
Not many are aware or even remember that the famed Alain Prost-Ayrton Senna rivalry would never have taken place if the Frenchman had not asked for the Brazilian to be his teammate.
In 1987, it was Prost who had requested Ron Dennis to hire a strong teammate and had vouched for Senna.
In the end, we all saw how the careers of the two drivers intertwined but all of that would have been avoided if the Frenchman had not reached out to his McLaren boss and asked for Senna as a teammate.
