Mercedes Team Principal Has 'No Doubt In Lewis's Integrity' Amid Data Dilemma

Saturday, 10 February 2024 at 00:00

Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, but his team principal has no doubt about the Brit's integrity.

When the seven-time World Champion's move to Ferrari was announced, one of the main questions raised was how will Mercedes approach their last season together in 2024.

On the one hand, they want their drivers to succeed and win races, but on the other hand, they know that one of them will leave the team after the season is over and that many change their approach, even if it's a driver that has spent over a decade with them.

Specifically, the main talking point were the data that the teams share with their drivers. Knowing that Hamilton will be leaving the team at the end of 2024, Mercedes faces a dilemma whether to share the data with him or not.

However, their team principal, Toto Wolff, doesn't seem to be concerned by that. Still, in an interview with the media shortly after the move was announced, he said that it's something the team need to look at.

"In terms of the development going forward, I think this is something which we need to look at. The regulations pretty much stay the same [next year]. And when it comes to 2025, we will evaluate later in the season what it means in terms of technical information."

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However, during the same interview, Wolff said that it's not the first case that something like that has happened in F1, as engineers often change teams, with even shorter notice period, giving them a chance to share the data as well.

"But that’s not something that bothers me at all. We have engineers that leave us and go to other teams and the notice periods are sometimes as short as six months."

When it comes to Hamilton specifically, the 52-year-old is not afraid at all about his integrity, mainly because of the relationship that the two have built. Because of that, Wolff wants to focus on the 2024 season being a success, rather than some data for the 2025 season.

"I don’t have any doubt in Lewis’s integrity in terms of sharing information and in that respect, I just want to make sure, we want to make sure that this is a successful season for both drivers and a successful season for Mercedes and all of us will give our utmost to achieve that."