James Allison reflects on Lewis Hamilton’s finest moment at Mercedes, highlighting a remarkable act of sportsmanship in Hungary 2017.
James Allison, Technical Director of Mercedes F1, has revealed his best memory of Lewis Hamilton during his time with the team.
Hamilton left Mercedes F1 at the end of last season to join Ferrari, a key rival in F1, after 12 highly successful years with the Silver Arrows.
He won six of his seven world titles with Mercedes and claimed 84 of his 105 Grand Prix victories with the German manufacturer.
Interestingly, Allison’s favorite memory of Hamilton is not one of his victories.
Instead, it was a gesture of sportsmanship at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix that Allison chose as the highlight of their collaboration.
In the midst of a title battle with Sebastian Vettel driving for Ferrari, Hamilton allowed his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, to pass him at the end of the race.
Mercedes had earlier swapped their cars via team orders to let Hamilton attack Ferrari in the lead, but when he couldn’t overtake, the Briton slowed at the final corner to let Bottas regain his position.
Hamilton gave up a podium place and three additional points while trailing Vettel in the championship. Nevertheless, Hamilton went on to defeat Vettel for the drivers’ title.
And Allison believes this moment showcased Hamilton’s true character.
“Choosing a single moment with Lewis is difficult because it’s a rich gallery of experiences over those seasons.”
“Although I am a relative newcomer to the team compared to others, I have been here through the highs and lows, spanning four drivers’ championships with him and five constructors’ championships, so there’s plenty to choose from.”
“I tend to go back to Hungary in 2017, where Lewis was allowed to pass Valtteri to take on the Ferraris ahead.”
“He didn’t make the progress we had hoped for, but he then honored his promise to let Valtteri retake his position if he couldn’t deliver.”
“The way it played out was extremely tense, incredibly difficult to execute cleanly, as Verstappen was in the mix and made things really challenging.”
“Lewis did it, and he did it with real class. I think it demonstrated the essential fairness in Lewis’s character, right alongside the grit we all admire so much.”
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Hamilton’s 2017 Gesture: Allison’s Favorite Mercedes Moment Hamilton’s 2017 Gesture: Allison’s Favorite Mercedes Moment
