One cannot overstate how much the victory at Silverstone meant to Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion burst into tears as soon as he embraced his father after stepping out of the car. He then found his mother in the pit lane and did not let go of her until he was ready for the post-race interview.
The win marked his first in 945 days, the days which were no less than a horrific test of his patience. So much changed in those 945 days, from his stature in F1 to his camaraderie with the team.
These 945 days saw him lose patience with Mercedes and sign a multi-year deal with Ferrari. Since the announcement of the move, he never addressed the Mercedes staff in Brackley.
That silence came to an end after the victory in Silverstone. Speaking on The Fast And The Curious podcast, Mercedes’ Chief Communications Officer Bradley Lord revealed,
“On Wednesday after Silverstone, he [Hamilton] came into the factory and that was the first time he’d spoken to the entire factory in our race base since the start of the season.”
“He [Hamilton] hadn’t had the chance through scheduling and other stuff to talk to everyone about also the Ferrari decision. He asked us not to put a video out or share everything he said. But he was incredibly honest, vulnerable, open, and authentic, the most I’ve seen in the 12 years I’ve worked with him. It clearly meant a lot,” Lord added.
Lord then further talked about how the dynamics with Hamilton would change once the British driver leaves for Ferrari in 2025. He believes Hamilton will forever remain a part of the Mercedes family. However, Lord revealed that they will not hesitate to fight Hamilton hard when the Briton moves to Ferrari next year.
Mercedes ready to fight Hamilton ‘tooth and nail‘ in 2025
The end of 2024 will mark the end of Hamilton’s 12-year journey with Mercedes. Bagging 14 world championships (eight constructors’ and six drivers’) in these years, the partnership has proven to be among the most dominant in F1’s history. However, neither the Briton nor the German team will give each other an inch on the track next year.
Lord said, “We have a view that you might no longer be employed at the team but you’re always going to be a part of it.” He, however, cleared, “We’ll be fighting him [Hamilton] tooth and nail on track next year and for as long as he’s driving a Ferrari.”
The relationship, Lord feels, will be like rugby players who play hard against each other on the field. However, once the competition is over, they all go out for a beer.
