Mercedes taken aback
The bombshell news of Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari from the 2025 season came completely unexpectedly for the general Formula 1 public. However, there is every reason to think that it was equally unexpected for Mercedes itself, which only two weeks ago he made Toto Wolff's three-year renewal official leading the three-pointed star team. Lewis Hamilton's two-year renewal with Mercedes is dated 31 August 2023 but after just five months, two of which with the engines offthe English driver asserted an unspecified release clause which released him from the contract with his current team.
Is the new Mercedes already doomed?
An acceleration towards a completely unexpected separation whose reasons can only be theorized and the consequences for the 2024 season not entirely predictable. The presentation of the new Mercedes W15 is set for February 14th and it is curious that on the date of Valentine's Day there will be the first public outing of the divorcing Hamilton and Mercedes. It certainly won't be the party we thought it would be, even if we imagine the casual phrases that all the protagonists will be able to use on that occasion, like the professionals they are. However, even this embarrassing situation, completely avoidable if not necessary, makes it clear that etiquette has been completely set aside by Hamilton who must have been deeply disappointed by some fact or element that accelerated a decision for a change that was probably often been within his means. The world will only discover the W15 on Valentine's Day but certainly both Hamilton and Russell have already tried it on the simulator in recent times.
It is legitimate to think, even without being certain, that the English pilot he may not have been satisfied with his new car in the simulator tests and that, after two seasons of bitter disappointments with zero victories, he decided to say enough is enough prematurely. Hamilton's separation from Mercedes without even having done a lap on the new car in the pre-season tests at the end of February It already sounds like a possible sentence for the ambitions of the Brackley team. These tests have long been of little significance for the evaluation of performance for Formula 1 teams. Even before taking to the track, the team's engineers and drivers already know, despite the classic phrases of pure politics, how competitive their single-seater can be. Proof of this is McLaren who last year had already understood and declared everything in February during the static presentation, from the initial difficulties to the summer recovery.
Which driver to focus on for the development of the W15?
If the W15 were to once again prove to be an under-performing and difficult-to-set-up car, Mercedes would find itself facing the 2024 season with a problem within the problem: deciding whether to exploit Hamilton's great ability in developing the single-seater or not. Lewis has shown, especially in the recent season, that he is often able to extract the best possible result from his capricious and erratic Mercedes, relegating George Russell behind him in the world rankings, trailing him by many points. For a top-tier Formula 1 team like Mercedes it is normal to cut the starting driver out of all technical development meetings or development tests on the track. A decision clearly forced by confidentiality, however, which is very difficult for the German manufacturer to make on the eve of three skimpy days of winter testing. And if the Mercedes W15 really turns out to be uncompetitive, how intelligent or suicidal would it be for the German team to do without an experienced driver like Hamilton? Would it make sense to entrust all the development to a very talented rider like Russell, who however has shown that he is not yet at Lewis' level of consistency and analysis?
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