between industrial secrets and favoritism, what the announced departure of Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari can change in his 2024 season

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton begins his final season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari in 2025.

The announcement of his departure, even before the start of the season, had the effect of a bomb in the paddock. Lewis Hamilton will leave for red horizons, at Ferrari, in 2025, at the end of his twelfth season at Mercedes. In the very secretive world of Formula 1, whose season begins on Saturday March 2 in Bahrain, this announced change of team may have consequences for the 2024 season of the Briton and his team.

Can we believe George Russell, his teammate at Mercedes, when he assures that the departure of the seven-time world champion “doesn’t change anything in the team dynamic” ? “Objectively, in terms of how the team prepares for each race, it changes absolutely nothing. Mercedes is aiming to recover, so they cannot ignore a driver and not give him the best possible conditions.”assures Cyril Abiteboul, former boss of the Renault team and consultant for franceinfo: sport.

Mercedes has seen the constructors’ title slip away over the past two seasons in favor of Red Bull and the last three drivers’ titles go to Max Verstappen. The end of an era for a team which had been world champion eight consecutive years, between 2014 and 2021. “If Mercedes can get themselves into the title match, they will do everything they can to ensure the best possible result. If they’re really down, it could have a little more impact.”nuance Cyril Abiteboul.

“When we know that a member is going to leave us, a pilot or an engineer, obviously we involve them less in medium and long-term development.”

Cyril Abiteboul, former general manager of the Renault team

at franceinfo: sport

The development of future single-seaters is all the more crucial as the regulations for the world championship will evolve in 2026. If those concerning the engines are already known, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) will unveil those concerning the chassis this year. The different teams will therefore work on this subject this season, and “We can already say that Lewis will absolutely not be involved in the development of the 2026 car.”according to the former director of the Renault team.

Not associated with testing of the future car

Concerning possible modifications made during the season, on a single-seater which will be renewed next season, ““There will be a transition point at which Lewis will no longer be invited to meetings and will no longer understand what is happening in the development of the car, in the simulator.”says former driver Martin Brundle in a Sky Sports podcast.

In 2006, Fernando Alonso experienced the same situation. Having just been crowned world champion, he announced a few days later his departure from Renault to McLaren for the 2007 season and was, of course, not involved in testing the future car. “We are all looking to have more kilowatts in the engine, more downforce and less drag. But it is on the details of how we are going to achieve this that the information is more confidential, with concepts like the Red Bull suspensions, or the Mercedes pontoon, explains Cyril Abiteboul. Changes in concepts, on suspensions, aerodynamics or engine covers for example, I think this will be hidden from Lewis. Even though his team boss, Toto Wolff, said he had no “no doubt about Lewis’ integrity regarding information sharing” with his future team.

If Toto Wolff also assures that he will stay “fair and transparent” in 2024 with its two pilots, “the team will, consciously or not, favor George”, according to Martin Brundle. “One of the questions for Mercedes is whether George becomes their number 1 driver and whether they build a cycle around him like they did around Lewis.asks Cyril Abiteboul. And this can have implications on the few choices of direction of development of the car, even if at this level, a car which goes well for one goes well for the other “. Lewis Hamilton, who still has the loss of the title in his throat on the last lap of the last Grand Prix of the 2021 season, where he felt like he had been robbed, recalled that “the chapter with Mercedes is not yet over” and that he was “100% concentrated” on his current team.