Source:REUTERS/SEBASTIAO MOREIRA
[Saba Sports News] British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton announced before the start of this season that he would transfer from Mercedes to Ferrari next year. Following this announcement, Hamilton’s relationship with Mercedes quickly soured, and his personal relationship with Mercedes team CEO Toto Wolff entered a sensitive phase. In recent races, Hamilton publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s strategy. After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, F1 will conduct post-season testing to collect data for tire supplier Pirelli and give young drivers a chance to test current F1 cars. Many newly transferred drivers often report to their new teams early during this time to familiarize themselves with their new cars. For example, in 2022, when Fernando Alonso joined Aston Martin, he was allowed by Alpine to test early with his new team. However, due to Hamilton’s deteriorating relationship with Mercedes, Toto Wolff is not prepared to let him leave early; Hamilton must wait until his contract expires at the end of this year before he can report to Ferrari.