2024 marks the end of an era in Formula 1. After 11 illustrious seasons with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton is all set to compete in his final year as a Silver Arrows driver. The expectation is that the team will give the seven-time world champion a heartfelt farewell. However, former F1 driver Martin Brundle also believes that once the season comes to an end, they would hope that the Briton loses in the Ferrari.
Brundle was speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast when he explained, “They’ve had such a wonderful relationship together – Hamilton, Mercedes Benz, Toto [Wolff] and the team. I think they’ll see it as a farewell tour.” Brundle then concluded his remarks by stating, “And then wish him farewell and hope that he loses in a Ferrari!”
Since the Briton joined Mercedes, he has won six driver’s titles. In the process, the 39-year-old has also propelled the team to eight consecutive Constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021.
Therefore, it is unsurprising that Hamilton and the rest of the Mercedes team share a strong bond. However, Hamilton’s shock decision to move to Ferrari could hurt his relationship with the Silver Arrows team. Meanwhile, even Wolff admitted that while he knew Hamilton would one day depart, he was not expecting it to be as soon as 2025.
What does Lewis Hamilton know about the SF-24?
It was a very strange timing on the part of Lewis Hamilton to reveal his 2025 plans. As recently as six months ago, he was adamant that he wanted to end his F1 career at Mercedes. Moreover, he had even signed a reported two-year deal.
Hence, the question that beckons is – does Lewis Hamilton have any knowledge about the competitiveness of the SF-24? It is possible that Hamilton saw Ferrari’s pre-season prowess that led him to ditch Mercedes after two winless years with them.
In 2024, Ferrari have chosen an entirely different strategy to develop the SF-24. Their 2024 car is believed to be 95% different from the SF-23. However, the bulk of the work has been done on the suspension of the car.
From the preliminary reports, emerging after the car’s shakedown at Fiorano, it seems the team has taken the bold step of being the only team to run a pull-rod suspension on the rear. While the initial feedback for the SF-24 has been positive, only time will tell how strong is Ferrari’s car.
