© Sam Bloxham for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
By Adrian Mann
When Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes was announced, the rumblings among a portion of fans could be heard – some of them were questioning how the Briton would be treated by the team on his way out.
Since then, after every race a portion of the fanbase has been suggesting that Lewis is being disrespected by not being provided with a competitive car, while a vocal minority even goes as far as accusing the team of purposely sabotaging the Briton. The criticism only intensified after Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying, when Lewis revealed Mercedes installed their only available upgrade – a new front wing – to George Russell’s car.
Firstly, the front wing situation has been quickly clarified – Lewis himself agreed for the part to be installed on George’s car. Having a new part on the car, especially if it’s the only one the team was able to produce, brings with it certain risks. One of the risks is obviously the performance, but the other is the fact that if the part gets damaged and cannot be used in the race, and no replacement is available, the old part has to be installed. This means the driver in question would have to start the race from the pit lane for breaking parc ferme rules. So, in this situation, having a new part can also ultimately be detrimental to a driver’s performance.
If you like SilverArrows.Net, consider supporting us by buying us a coffee!
Now, as for being able to produce a competitive car, to think this is in any way shape or form disrespecting Lewis is pretty unreasonable. Obviously Mercedes would like to have a competitive car, and they obviously want to continue winning championships. If having an uncompetitive car is disrespecting anything, it’s disrespecting the Mercedes brand itself. Of course, this is sport and in sport it’s normal to have dips in form, so to say that it’s ultimately disrespectful toward anything or anybody, is at the very least a stretch.
As for Mercedes intentionally sabotaging Lewis, this absolutely makes no sense. Formula 1 is a business, and even if the team did not have any loyalty to Lewis after years of success they had together, in a business sense it would be absolutely ludicrous to sabotage their own driver, especially a worldwide superstar, arguably the greatest driver of all time, who they are paying a small fortune. Not only would that be completely crazy, but even if the team did decide to do that, the Board in Stuttgart would not allow this in a million years. It’s obvious that in 2024 Lewis will not be able to receive the same level of support that he has been receiving in previous years, but only because as a driver who is leaving, he cannot be allowed to know sensitive information regarding the 2025 season and beyond. However, to suggest he is being sabotaged in any way is, again, completely unreasonable.
Furthermore, Mercedes as a business would get more value, in a marketing sense, from Lewis winning his record-breaking eighth championship, than from George getting his first. So, rationally it would make absolutely no sense to purposely sabotage Lewis. The team is simply not doing good at the moment performance-wise, mistakes are being made in terms of strategy, and this leads to bad outcomes for both drivers.
Now, there’s another reason why I believe Mercedes would never jeopardise their relationship with Lewis. What Lewis and Mercedes achieved together is so historic, so hard to duplicate, that even after Lewis’ Ferrari career is over, no matter how successful it is, he will more than likely be best remembered for his triumphant Mercedes days. There is absolutely no chance that, after his Ferrari days, he will not be a part of the Mercedes family in some form – as a spokesperson, brand ambassador or in some other capacity. Look at Sir Stirling Moss, he has driven for several teams in his career, yet he has remained a part of the Mercedes family until the day he died. There is no chance that the same will not be true for Lewis, if he wants to go that route. To try and harm Lewis or his legacy in any way would ultimately hurt Mercedes, so there is no upside for the brand if they did that.
Now, speaking for myself and SilverArrows.Net, all of us here are huge Mercedes fans, and also huge Lewis Hamilton fans, and we will continue to follow Lewis even when he goes to Ferrari. We are also preparing a little surprise for Lewis fans which will be revealed in a little while. Until then, we (and hopefully many of you) hope that Mercedes will be able to make the car competitive and provide Lewis with a send-off he deserves – at the top step of the podium!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of SilverArrows.Net.
If you would like to write a Guest Column for SilverArrows.Net check out the details here!
