A long-time member of the Mercedes team before it became an official works team, Vowles has been involved with the organization since its days as BAR, then Honda, Brawn GP, and finally Mercedes when they returned as a fully-fledged works team in 2010. Throughout his career, Vowles has had the opportunity to work closely with esteemed drivers such as Hamilton, Schumacher, Villeneuve, Button, and Rosberg, making him well-positioned to share his insights.
In a recent interview on the High Performance Podcast, Vowles discussed his experiences working with some of the greatest Formula 1 world champion drivers. He specifically highlighted Hamilton’s exceptional talent, describing him as the most naturally gifted driver he has ever worked with during his time at Mercedes, even surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher. Vowles marveled at Hamilton’s ability to effortlessly adapt to different settings and explore every aspect of the car’s performance.
Vowles shared a particular incident during a simulation in Brazil (Interlagos) where the team instructed the drivers to shift into seventh gear while going up the hill. While Nico Rosberg obediently followed the instructions, Hamilton immediately felt that something was off and decided to switch back to sixth gear, ultimately finding an additional tenth of a second. It wasn’t until the end of the session that Rosberg reviewed the data and realized Hamilton’s intuition was correct.
According to Vowles, Hamilton is a master at utilizing data as a foundation but possesses an unparalleled instinct that allows him to push the boundaries further. He fearlessly explores the limits of braking, occasionally resulting in him going off track at Turn 1. Vowles did express some frustration at times, as Hamilton would only complete one lap out of 20, but acknowledged that it was a testament to his relentless pursuit of perfection.
Hamilton has competed for only two teams in his Formula 1 career, which began in 2007. He achieved 21 Grand Prix wins and secured his first World Championship title in 2008 while driving for McLaren. In 2013, Hamilton made the switch to Mercedes. At that time, he was 29 years old, and he is now 39.
Vowles, a former member of the Mercedes team, shared insights on Hamilton’s development over the past decade. He noted that Hamilton has matured significantly since 2013, completing every lap and continuously gaining experience. Hamilton has become a perfectionist, with his strength lying in his braking abilities. By maximizing his performance during braking, he understands the limits of the car and can build upon that foundation to find his rhythm.
Hamilton quickly learns the track and comprehends the capabilities of the car within a few laps of the first practice session (FP1). This understanding allows him to position the car correctly as the grip improves. While others spend several laps familiarizing themselves with the track, Hamilton pushes the boundaries early on. Vowles, who is now the team principal at Williams, praised Hamilton’s impressive skills and quick adaptability.
Following in the footsteps of Vowles, Hamilton will also be leaving the Mercedes team. However, his departure will occur at the end of 2024, as he is set to join Ferrari in 2025. Hamilton’s departure marks the end of an era, which saw him achieve a remarkable record of 103 Grand Prix victories and seven World Championship titles, all while driving with Mercedes power.
It is worth noting that Vowles did not work with the legendary Michael Schumacher during his successful tenure at Ferrari. Vowles encountered Schumacher during the later stages of his Formula 1 career. Nevertheless, Schumacher played a significant role in laying the groundwork for Mercedes’ resurgence in Formula 1, which reached its peak when Hamilton took over from the German driver.
According to the Source grandprix247.com