The seven-time world champion speaks at the presentation of the W15: his last Mercedes F1 single-seater after 12 years of militancy with the Brackley team
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Salvuss
The temptation to speak in the plural is still strong, even if what Lewis Hamilton is preparing to experience will be his last year in the Mercedes suit before the much talked about move to historic rivals Ferrari. However, the 2024 championship is also the twelfth of the super champion’s career with the Brackley team and therefore we cannot be surprised if thethe only possible pronoun in view of the start of the new season is still “we”. This is how Sir Lewis, although well aware that the W15 E Performance it will be the last Formula 1 Mercedes he will drive in his career, he continued to refer to the team in just ten minutes of the presentation live from Silverstone.
PRIVILEGE
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“I arrived at Mercedes – explains Hamilton – in 2013, and this will therefore be my twelfth season with the team. It’s a great privilege to work with this group of people, I’ve watched them at work over the winter, I’ve seen the new machine come to light and this is always the most exciting moment of every year. We’ve been working all winter to get the team back to where it should be and even though the last two years have been difficult, we have laid the foundations, we have gathered, we have shared the path to understand the machine and the data. It’s the first time I’ve seen the W15 in its entirety and it’s exciting to know that George (Russell, teammate for the third year in a row) and I will take it to the track.”
NORTH STAR
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In fact, a 200 km filming day is already planned today on the Silverstone circuit to collect the first data and the first feedback on the functioning of the car while awaiting the tests in Bahrain (scheduled for 21 to 23 February). “The lessons of the past two years – added Sir Lewis – have helped us understand our direction, they allowed us to find our North Star. The work is still in progress, but I am sure that we will face every challenge that the season will always present to us with our heads held high, with an open mind and with a willingness to work.”
IMPROVEMENTS
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It’s impossible not to also talk about the improvements of the W15, which – a bit as seen with the Ferrari – has as its main objective that of being more predictable on the track to allow riders to push to the limit with greater confidence: “If you don’t have confidence in the car, then you are not able to extract the maximum potential in terms of performance. A more stable car, more sincere in its behaviour, will help us bring out the best, not only from the single-seater but also from ourselves as drivers. I know what this team is capable of and I am incredibly grateful to them for the work done by every single person who is part of this group. Every time I am in the factory I see everyone’s determination, complete dedication to the cause. We are super motivated for the coming year, we will give everything in this journey.” Which may be the last, but this does not automatically mean that he will be greedy for satisfaction.
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