© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Autosport reports that Lewis Hamilton’s exit from Mercedes was not triggered by “any concern about the progress of the W15 project that has offered some encouraging signs from the simulator”.
Yesterday when the news broke out that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024, to join Ferrari, the Formula 1 world was left in shock.
Soon people started speculating about the reasons for Lewis’ exit, with some believing that he was concerned about the progress of Mercedes’ 2024 car.
Some even thought that Mercedes’ recent announcements that team boss Toto Wolff and Technical Director James Allison signed long-term deals with the team, were designed to convince Lewis that there was stability in the team’s leadership.
Autosport however reports that there is no truth to those rumours.
“It is understood that the Wolff and Allison developments had nothing to do with Hamilton, especially because there had been no indication at that point that there was a chance he could leave,” Jonathan Noble wrote.
“It is also understood that there had been no behind-the-scenes issues that had triggered Hamilton wanting out, nor any concern about the progress of the W15 project that has offered some encouraging signs from the simulator.
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“Instead, as Hamilton confirmed in the eventual Mercedes press release, this was simply about being the right time to move on.”
Noble then provided further details on Mercedes’ staff meeting, where Hamilton’s departure was announced.
“With Wolff and Mercedes’ senior management aware of the significance of Hamilton’s decision, it made sense for the team to move quickly to get things lined up for the team and the public.
“Wolff called a meeting at the Brackley factory for 2pm on Thursday where every team member was encouraged to attend.
“And it was here, via video link as he was in Milan for a Mercedes engineering team meeting with Pirelli, that Wolff announced that Hamilton would be leaving at the end of the season,” Noble concluded.
