Lewis Hamilton’s 12-year stint with Mercedes came to an end with the chequered flag being waived at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP. The #44 driver’s time with the Silver Arrows has etched their names together in the annals of F1 history.
And despite having chalked up 84 wins, eight Constructors’ titles, and six drivers’ championships for the Briton, Mercedes’ technical director, James Allison has one memory of the 39-year-old that will always be his fondest.
“I tend to default back to Hungary 2017,” said Allison, on Mercedes’ YouTube Channel, when asked about his favorite memory of Hamilton. “Lewis had been allowed to go past Valtteri [Bottas] to have a go at the Ferraris in front. [He didn’t make the progress we had hoped and honored his pledge [and] let Valtteri have his place back,” he added.
The 2017 Hungarian GP was a race that perfectly highlighted the camaraderie between Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. The Briton was fighting for the world championship that season, and often got a favor from his Finnish teammate, who moved over for his championship gain.
Allison explained how that incident in Hungary shed light on Hamilton’s character, as Bottas deserved that podium. While the #44 driver is a fierce competitor on track, he had this sense of fairness about him where he would honor his team and his teammate when it was required.
It’s impossible to describe how good the Mercedes tribute video for Lewis Hamilton is. Just watch it:pic.twitter.com/qzfand5d1I
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) December 6, 2024
This trip down memory lane comes with a real understanding that the 39-year-old will now be a rival for Allison and everyone back at Mercedes. Earlier this year, the Briton announced that he will be joining Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season.
Do Mercedes hope to deny Hamilton his eighth title at Ferrari?
After the 2024 season wrapped up last Sunday, team boss, Toto Wolff delivered a heartfelt tribute to his driver saying that while they would be competitors, if Mercedes couldn’t win he would always cheer for the Briton.
That possibility, however, is stocked far away into the future as Allison reveals the team’s aspirations with the W16. “Hopefully, it [the W16] is close enough at the front [and] that a good winter will see us do that and be fighting right from the start of the next season,” he concluded.
With 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli set to start his F1 career with the Silver Arrows next season, the Brackley-based outfit would be hoping to hit the ground running in terms of both their car and driver line-up to ensure that Hamilton doesn’t get a clear run at the drivers’ title next year.
