
© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison says a “compulsive need to win” is “a core part” of who Lewis Hamilton is.
After two difficult seasons for Mercedes, some observers have been questioning Lewis Hamilton’s motivation to continue on in Formula 1.
Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison says there’s are no doubts about Lewis’ motivation.
“I think you’d struggle to find a driver anywhere in the grid that wasn’t motivated,” the Briton said.
“I think that sort of comes with the territory with them. And generally speaking, the more successful the drivers have been, the more sort of inescapable that compulsive need to win is.
“In Lewis’s case, it’s just a core part of who he is, so there’s no doubt about his motivation to get back to winning ways.
“But whether or not he can do that, will be much more in the hands of the equipment we’ve given him than in his own hands. He’s always had that ability there.”
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Allison went on to explain what the drivers’ main responsibility is, during the winter break.
“Both drivers, their role over the winter is very largely to look after their physical condition, make sure that they’re mentally prepared, and just stay in touch with us about our successes and failures as we are going through the hoops of getting the car specified, built, tested and ready for them.
“It isn’t really a part of the year where they can have other than an observing role with what we’re doing.
“Once the car is running and once the car is talking to us, the person that is the interpreter is the driver, and then their voices start to have much greater weight.
“So over the winter, it’s just getting themselves ready for the new challenge,” Allison concluded.