Lewis Hamilton's Incredible 'Octopus' Trait Described By Vowles

F1
Saturday, 27 January 2024 at 11:00
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A team principal, James Vowles, who used to work in Mercedes, described Lewis Hamilton's 'incredible' trait that makes him one of the best in the world.
James Vowles was part of the Mercedes ever since the team was established until the end of the season in 2022. During his time with the German team, he worked closely with its drivers.
He recently revealed he crafted a document ahead of the season 2014 when Mercedes knew they were going to win. This document detailed the "Rules of Engagement" between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
He also shared some more experiences with the seven-time World Champion on a recent episode of High-Performance podcast. He said:

"Lewis just had these oodles of natural talent. With him, he's got these tendencies and traits where, if you go out in FP1, he's like an octopus all over the wheel. He'll change every setting on the wheel and explore. It's what makes him incredible."

William's team principal stated the 39-year-old is the most naturally talented driver he has ever worked with, and that is an impressive compliment considering all the World Champions he's worked with before.
During his time in F1, James Vowles had the chance to collaborate closely with Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Rosberg.
The next comparison he shared was between the seven-time World Champion and Rosberg from the times when they used to be teammates in Mercedes (2013-2016).

"There was a time on simulation in Brazil when it said 'go into 7th gear up the hill,' and within two laps, Nico was doing exactly what we asked him to do."

While the drivers were clearly instructed what they were supposed to do, Hamilton found his own way of doing things that was actually faster in the end.

"With Lewis, he went back down to sixth and he was finding a tenth there. It took until the end of the session before Nico saw the data."