Mercedes’ George Russell has managed to get the better of Lewis Hamilton on several occasions in 2024 so far, which the latter revealed was due to differences in setups. Hamilton has spoken about experimenting with these changes in order to get the best out of the W15, and it often leads to him sacrificing his outing.
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, in a recent interview, discussed why Hamilton has to deal with these changes. Getting to the point straight away, Shovlin insists that it is for “learning more about the car.”
Hamilton himself has been eager to change setups in his car ahead of every race weekend in order to see what will or won’t work. In the process, his ability to maximize results on the track has been hindered. Shovlin said,
“He wants to learn more about where he can get the most out of the car. He has made himself a victim a few times, but if you don’t change anything, you won’t learn anything. It would be wrong to say: That’s how things are, let’s make the best of it.”
#F1 | Andrew Shovlin on why Lewis Hamilton and George Russell often differ in set-ups: “It’s mainly about learning more about the car. Lewis in particular is open to major setup changes this year.”
“He wants to learn more about where he can get the most out of the car. He has…
— deni (@fiagirly) May 14, 2024
Because of the slump Mercedes finds itself in, they need to find a permanent solution. Over the last few months, any problem the Brackley-based outfit has solved has given rise to something new. To avoid this, the team is taking risks, and Hamilton is at the forefront, helping them bring about changes that will help them in the long run.
Lewis Hamilton open to helping Mercedes move months before Ferrari move
Ahead of the start of the campaign, Lewis Hamilton announced that he would leave for Ferrari in 2025. The 39-year-old would have wanted to end his historic association with Mercedes on a high, but unfortunately, the team’s poor mechanical package prevents that.
Mercedes can improve as the season progresses (although it is unlikely) and the aggressive setup changes that Hamilton has to tackle could prove to be the key. Russell’s setups are more suited to the current W15 but don’t help the engineers learn much about what they can change in the car.
The fact that Hamilton still sacrifices his results in favor of helping Mercedes improve shows his dedication to the team’s improvement, even in his final few months with the Silver Arrows.
Of course, in the coming few races, it could help Hamilton himself as well. With the right tuning of the car, there is little doubt that the Stevenage-born driver can still put his car in the front of the grid.
