Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton share a bond beyond the F1 paddock. Their partnership, which started in 2013, has been one of the most iconic in terms of results and friendship. Therefore, the Austrian executive was stunned when Hamilton decided to join Ferrari. The two discussed the future possibilities on lunch after Hamilton’s Ferrari move.
The rift in their friendship started developing during the Mercedes slump. Further, the addition of George Russell added fuel to the disassociation reaction. Thus, a dejected Hamilton decided to draw curtains on his glorious run with the Silver Arrows. However, an F1 pundit has a piece of advice for Wolff ahead of the Briton’s imminent exit.
Drivers Aren’t The Best Technical Translators In The Digital Era
Former F1 driver and world champion Damion Hill has urged the Mercedes chief to take a tough decision. While the Brackley-based outfit is enjoying a dreamy comeback, the moment of Hamilton’s exit is inching closer. Therefore, Hill on F1 Nation Podcast asked Wolff to exclude the seven-time world champion from the conversations about the future plans. The German marque is already losing a champion racer to the Maranello squad, so handing over valuable insights along with Hamilton is the last thing Mercedes would want to do. However, despite these suggestions, Hill also accepts that the insight Ferrari would receive from the incoming driver wouldn’t be as beneficial for the squad. Further, Hill explains drivers aren’t the best technical translators, as they are unaware of the technical nuances. Therefore, a driver could never extract insight as precisely as an engineer.
On the other hand, we’re in the digital era, where teams have mega data books about every rival. Every team knows the technical peculiarities of others, as they have analysts depicting all the data. Hence, the only thing hidden from the supercomputers is the monocoque, which encompasses the power unit. Thus, Mercedes might brush off the fear of information leaks, and Hamilton will continue to be a part of the critical conversations. Moreover, his feedback is necessary to improve the current F1 car. The season is still left with ten more races to go, and the Silver Arrows would want to finish at a higher spot.
Lewis Hamilton ‘Rewarded’ After Enduring Mercedes Struggles
At 39, the seven-time world champion has enough knowledge and experience which could help the technical team. His experience is the reason behind a sweet comeback by the Three-Pointed Star. The British racing superstar helped his team try different set-ups before hitting the right key.
Therefore, according to the ex-Indy Car Driver and F1 pundit James Hinchcliffe, Hamilton is reaping the fruits of his hard work. He praised the Briton, who is second on the list of most wins this year, behind Verstappen. Further, Hinchcliffe highlighted that Hamilton has scored more points than George Russell despite being behind in head-ons. Therefore, he believes the seven-time world champion is getting the reward now as the technical crew has tamed the woes of W15.
