Hamilton admits exclusion from Mercedes development 'inevitable'

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Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that it’s likely he will be phased out of Mercedes’ critical development meetings due to his upcoming move to Ferrari.

Last weekend’s British Grand Prix winner will depart Mercedes at the end of the season after an outstanding 12-year tenure with the Brackely squad.

But while the current season is still in full swing, Hamilton is aware of the inevitable changes to his role within the Mercedes team.

“I haven’t been excluded from any meetings and we’re still working on this car and trying to get the car to the front,” Hamilton said last weekend at Silverstone, quoted by Motorsport Week.

“So it’s still very collaborative. And I mean, I’ve been here a long time. So if there’s a point where they’re like, we’re preferring not to be in this meeting, that’s totally fine with me.”

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The 39-year-old veteran is pragmatic about the situation, understanding that it's a common practice in Formula 1 for departing drivers to be gradually removed from sensitive information to protect the team's intellectual property.

“I mean, it’s inevitable perhaps at one stage, but at the end of the day, nothing I have, no information that I would get this year will impact next year because I’m not in communication,” Hamilton added.

“Nothing passes hands until I start the season next year. And it takes time to develop things.”

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who is expected to join Haas next season, is in a similar situation as Hamilton, but the Frenchman hopes he’ll remain in the loop with his team for as long as possible.

“Of course, I’m not going to spend time working on next year’s car,” Ocon said. “I haven’t been excluded from any meetings at the moment.

“I think the team would lose out from one more comment about the car and the drive moving forward if there was only 50% of the comment going on. So that hasn’t been the case. I just hope it won’t be the case.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.