The seven-time World Champion is rumored to be departing from Mercedes at the end of this year and is eager to bring his fellow colleagues to Ferrari to create a sense of familiarity. Lewis Hamilton, as reported by IMAGO, has sparked speculations about his fellow engineers joining him at Maranello. The British driver has made the decision to leave his successful partnership with Mercedes after an eleven-year tenure and is now making arrangements to join the Italian team by assembling a group of race engineers.
The announcement of Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes, made by the seven-time champion himself, has caused quite a stir. The CEO of Ferrari is taking various measures to ensure a smooth integration of Hamilton into the team. Hamilton is determined not to repeat the same mistake as his former rival, who joined Ferrari without bringing any key officials from Red Bull, thus failing to establish a supportive environment around him.
It is widely expected that some of Hamilton’s close associates will indeed follow him. One name that has been mentioned is Bono, also known as Peter Bonnington, who is believed to be Hamilton’s race engineer. The strong bond between Hamilton and Bono leads people to believe that he will surely join the red team. This potential “brain drain” at Brackley could have a significant impact on the team and its long-term performance, according to Formu1a.uno.
Fans and F1 experts had high expectations for this season, anticipating it to be one of the most exciting in recent history due to anticipated driver transfers. With multiple drivers becoming free agents after this year, a shakeup in the paddock was predicted.
However, the “silly season” began well before the start of the 2024 racing season, as Hamilton signed with the most successful team in F1 history and decided to part ways with his previous alliance. This move has left Carlos Sainz without a seat, while Fernando Alonso continues to perform exceptionally well. The availability of such drivers on the market is causing tension among teams and drivers. This move has set off a chain reaction, and with the first domino falling, we can expect more dramatic driver moves in the coming months.