2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Farnborough]

Isn't he going to Ferrari to get away from this shambolic bunch

Maybe alarmed to have any following him

In all seriousness, it looks like a different scene that LH is after now.

[AR3-GP]

It feels a bit like when he left Mclaren doesn't it? Plucky british teammate, team going downhill, unproductive 2-3 seasons, then he had enough.

[Luscion]

Source - https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... -no-grudge

[chrisc90]

Does anyone think that the ‘short term ‘ contracts will change? Mercedes were always very short on their contracts compared to say Max, Norris etc who all signed long term stuff.
I guess given the get out clauses, it’s pretty meaningless anyhow - but I know when I was short term it was less worry over your head knowing you had long term stuff pencilled in

[Farnborough]

It feels a bit like when he left Mclaren doesn't it? Plucky british teammate, team going downhill, unproductive 2-3 seasons, then he had enough.

I do feel its honestly a "now or never" deal in as much as they'd want to buy him in at championship potential and before more doubt builds in their own minds, Lewis included.

Also, he's achieved enough to effectively be on a free choice path in this sport, rolling the dice is genuinely interesting rather than crushing need to seek more succes.

All seems good to me, and interesting for the sport in general. Don't really see a downside and hope he enjoys it whatever the outcome.

[organic]

https://formu1a.uno/toto-wolff-rispetti ... -mi-piace/

Toto on Antonelli

: “He has been with Mercedes since he was 11 years old. His junior career was very successful. I think the most important thing is that he focuses on F2 . If we start throwing his name around in the media that won't help him. He's not even 18 years old. I would prefer not to speculate about him entering F1 at this stage ."

[AR3-GP]

I'm wondering if Allison and Wolff even care anymore about F1 without Lewis. I got the impression that they main reason they stayed on was to continue the Lewis journey.

Wolff has looked completely exasperated since 2022.

[JPower]

It feels a bit like when he left Mclaren doesn't it? Plucky british teammate, team going downhill, unproductive 2-3 seasons, then he had enough.

Mercedes could top things off by adding a Spanish-speaking driver(any of them) in his place.

[Venturiation]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

[AR3-GP]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

[Venturiation]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

Mercedes refused his contract as an ambassador

[AR3-GP]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

Mercedes refused his contract as an ambassador

Your first comment, the one I replied to, says that he left because Mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025 so that is what my comment is in reference to.

Regarding the ambassadorship claim, anything reported about his post-career contracts is speculative until we hear it from Hamilton or Mercedes

[stonehenge]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

Well, the fact is Toto Wolff said Mercedes "couldn't commit for a longer period." Whether that equates to kicking him out is another question, but it's clear based on his statements that Mercedes did not want to want to offer him a long-term deal. Mark Hughes wrote a great article about the possible ramifications of that: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mark ... ri-theory/

If you're Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes is clear it will not offer you a long-term deal and beyond that a commitment to supporting your philanthropic projects like Mission 44, and at the same time, Ferrari is prepared to offer you *exactly* that, it makes a lot of sense that you would decide on making that move.

An on what this means for the performance of the car: realistically, both Mercedes and Ferrari will have a *very* hard time challenging Red Bull for the championship in 24 and 25. Yes, their cars could be much improved, and winning races is certainly possible. But winning a championship requires *consistently* getting the performance out of the car and *even if* Mercedes and Ferrari nail their concepts, getting to the same level of understanding and knowledge as Red Bull to compete with the same consistency will be extremely difficult. And keep in mind that the 2025 car won't see as much development given the approaching regs in 2026.

That means Lewis' best chance of winning another title is probably in 2026, and the fact is we now know that Mercedes was not prepared to offer him a contract for 2026 (at least this far out). It doesn't really matter which car is going to be faster if only one is offering you a seat.

[AR3-GP]

means he left because mercedes didn't want to extend him past 2025

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

Well, the fact is Toto Wolff said Mercedes "couldn't commit for a longer period." Whether that equates to kicking him out is another question, but it's clear based on his statements that Mercedes did not want to want to offer him a long-term deal. Mark Hughes wrote a great article about the possible ramifications of that: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mark ... ri-theory/

If you're Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes is clear it will not offer you a long-term deal and beyond that a commitment to supporting your philanthropic projects like Mission 44, and at the same time, Ferrari is prepared to offer you *exactly* that, it makes a lot of sense that you would decide on making that move.

An on what this means for the performance of the car: realistically, both Mercedes and Ferrari will have a *very* hard time challenging Red Bull for the championship in 24 and 25. Yes, their cars could be much improved, and winning races is certainly possible. But winning a championship requires *consistently* getting the performance out of the car and *even if* Mercedes and Ferrari nail their concepts, getting to the same level of understanding and knowledge as Red Bull to compete with the same consistency will be extremely difficult. And keep in mind that the 2025 car won't see as much development given the approaching regs in 2026.

That means Lewis' best chance of winning another title is probably in 2026, and the fact is we now know that Mercedes was not prepared to offer him a contract for 2026 (at least this far out). It doesn't really matter which car is going to be faster if only one is offering you a seat.

If it's true that Wolff wouldn't offer Hamilton anything longer, then we can simply add it to the growing list of errors that he has made in the last several seasons. He has allowed Merc to be disemboweled. This will be studied in business schools around the world. How to sink a winning F1 team.

[stonehenge]

Let's be realistic. Mercedes wasn't kicking Hamilton out if he wanted to stay. Russell hasn't even proven to be better than him.

Also it's presumptuous to say there is no correlation (the twitter user erroneously claims) because the simulator session is not the first time that Hamilton learned of the W15. As we know by now, Hamilton has been very involved in steering the development of the W15 last year so he knows already what was changing and where they were projecting themselves. He may have already heard laptimes from when Davidson was in the simulator as well.

Well, the fact is Toto Wolff said Mercedes "couldn't commit for a longer period." Whether that equates to kicking him out is another question, but it's clear based on his statements that Mercedes did not want to want to offer him a long-term deal. Mark Hughes wrote a great article about the possible ramifications of that: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mark ... ri-theory/

If you're Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes is clear it will not offer you a long-term deal and beyond that a commitment to supporting your philanthropic projects like Mission 44, and at the same time, Ferrari is prepared to offer you *exactly* that, it makes a lot of sense that you would decide on making that move.

An on what this means for the performance of the car: realistically, both Mercedes and Ferrari will have a *very* hard time challenging Red Bull for the championship in 24 and 25. Yes, their cars could be much improved, and winning races is certainly possible. But winning a championship requires *consistently* getting the performance out of the car and *even if* Mercedes and Ferrari nail their concepts, getting to the same level of understanding and knowledge as Red Bull to compete with the same consistency will be extremely difficult. And keep in mind that the 2025 car won't see as much development given the approaching regs in 2026.

That means Lewis' best chance of winning another title is probably in 2026, and the fact is we now know that Mercedes was not prepared to offer him a contract for 2026 (at least this far out). It doesn't really matter which car is going to be faster if only one is offering you a seat.

If it's true that Wolff wouldn't offer Hamilton anything longer, then we can simply add it to the growing list of errors that he has made in the last several seasons. He has allowed Merc to be disemboweled. This will be studied in business schools around the world. How to sink a winning F1 team.

He says it at around 50 seconds in: