The uncertain world of Formula One is full of surprises. One such surprise shocked the entire Mercedes team and the F1 community. In February, when Lewis Hamilton inked a contract with Ferrari, everyone was left wondering. While he signed a contract extension with the Silver Arrows a few months back, this move caught everyone off guard.
However, the seven-time world champion had ample reasons to move ahead. One of the biggest reasons was his quest for the record-breaking eighth world title, which seemed impossible with the Brackley-based outfit. Secondly, the Briton claimed Ferrari was his childhood dream, and he wanted to drive the red racing machine. On the other hand, his Ferrari move and precisely the timing of it surprised Mercedes’ technical director.
“I Was Surprised By The Timing,” James Allison Shares His Thoughts On Hamilton’s Ferrari Move
James Allison recently appeared on the Beyond The Grid F1 podcast. The Mercedes technical head explained the circumstances of Hamilton’s exit and how his latest contract contributed to it. The British motorsport designer said that although he wasn’t really surprised, the exit timing caught him off guard. Further, he was aware of the nature of the contract Mercedes offered to Hamilton, which allowed the Briton a smooth exit. Therefore, Allison wasn’t surprised as the contract ‘explicitly’ allowed it to happen.
Moreover, Hamilton had a glorifying journey with the three-pointed star. Since his Mercedes debut in 2013, the 39-year-old racer has won six world titles, propelling the team to the motorsport pinnacle. However, his exit has left plenty of riddles for the Brackley-based team. Finding his replacement has been the biggest task for the team. While the young Italian prodigy is considered the future, his inexperience could prove costly for the team’s plans.
On the other hand, Toto Wolff also opened up about Hamilton’s departure. During a conversation with F1.com, the Austrian executive said F1 had made him ‘imperious’ to surprises. Further, he explained the team went open-eyed into this phase. Ultimately, he confirmed that it was inevitable and could have happened in a year or so. Thus, the team wasn’t as surprised as they should have been since the move was always possible.
James Allison Denies ‘Sabotage’ Allegations
In an interview following the Monaco Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion recently made a stunning remark, stating that he cannot out-qualify his teammate. This sparked a flurry of suspicion, with supporters claiming the Brackley-based squad was undermining Hamilton’s career. However, the technical director, James Allison, has answered all of the questions on the Beyond The Grid podcast. Allison highlighted Russell’s statistical advantage over Hamilton in the current season. Thus, he believes that if the current trend continues, the 39-year-old British driver will be unable to clinch pole position.
Furthermore, while discussing the “systematic disadvantage,” the technical leader denied all rumors. He also stated that the crew constantly strives to make both cars as similar as possible. Finally, he noted that the engineers iterate the automobiles based on the drivers’ demand. As a result, the technical staff is not in charge of the day-of setup. To support his assertions, Allison cited the Monaco front wings incident, in which Hamilton freely refused the modified layout.
