Lewis Hamilton is set to compete in a season with Mercedes F1, already knowing it will be his last before he moves to Ferrari next year. However, according to team director Toto Wolff, there’s no question of sidelining him from technical work on the car, trusting the driver not to reveal everything.
“I think what I’ve always tried to do as a team director, and all of us at Mercedes, is to be transparent and fair,” Wolff stated. “And nothing will change in that regard in 2024. We owe it to our principles and our racing intentions the way we proceed, and we will respect that.”
“And I’m sure the drivers will respect it. As for future development, I think that’s something we need to look at. The regulations remain pretty much the same.”
“As for 2025, we will assess later in the season what that means in terms of technical information, but it’s not something that bothers me at all. We have engineers leaving to join other teams, and notice periods are sometimes short, as little as six months.”
“So, I have no doubts about Lewis’s integrity regarding information sharing. And in that regard, we want to ensure this season is a success for both drivers, and a success for Mercedes, and each of us will give our best to achieve that.”
“Not enough is said” about Russell
Wolff is convinced that finding a balance between the interests of the drivers and the team during the season will be easy: “It is undoubtedly a new situation for the team members to manage.”
“But it’s something that, when you focus on the very short term, and it’s about the race team deployed to make the product work, doesn’t have a big impact on everything that happens in the future on the development side.”
“I’m always interested in new and challenging situations, and the balance between Mercedes’s interests in 2024 and the drivers’ interests in 2025 is something we will discuss openly from the beginning, how to manage it and, for sure, come to a good result between us.”
Wolff reminds that Mercedes is not without, with George Russell ready to take on the role of leader: “First of all, we focus on the 2024 season. We have two excellent drivers. Lewis is in his last year at Mercedes, and George is eager to get back in the car and perform.”
“We need to put a faster car on the track than last year, and we know how difficult it will be to compete not only with Red Bull but perhaps also with others. With all the discussions about Lewis, something has not been talked about enough, that’s George.”
Russell Poised for Mercedes Leadership
“George has the potential to become the next team driver. He is from the generation of Lando [Norris], [Charles] Leclerc, and a few others. I couldn’t wish for a better team leader when Lewis leaves. There’s no doubt about that.”
“We have a very solid base, a really fast, talented, and intelligent guy in a car that we just need to make the right choice for the second driver, for the second seat.”
Hamilton’s Final Mercedes Season Before Ferrari Move. Hamilton’s Final Mercedes Season Before Ferrari Move
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