Naomi Schiff has suggested that Lewis Hamilton’s impending exit from Mercedes is likely to cause both parties issues later in the season.
Hamilton, 37, announced back in February that he would leave Mercedes at the end of the campaign in order to join Ferrari. The decision sent shockwaves through Formula 1 given the Brit had signed a multi-year deal just months beforehand.
The seven-time world champion has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Mercedes, where he has raced for the last 11 seasons. But Schiff, speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, believes that rocky times lie ahead.
She said: “You could see that already in Monaco there was some weird body language and sort of Lewis saying that he was not going to out-qualify George [Russell] for the rest of the season. So I don’t know if there’s also a whole new layer of a psychological aspect that’s coming in with essentially what is like a divorce between Lewis and the team, and it’s going to happen throughout the season.”
After outlining some of the issues which may lie ahead for Hamilton and Mercedes, Schiff, a former F1 driver and current Sky Sports pundit, believes it’s only natural that the relationship between both parties will change in the coming months.
She added: “Inevitably, he’s going to start being left out of important meetings. New parts – George is going to be the preference for the team in terms of that but obviously he’s also ahead of him in the championship, so that’s the case anyway.
“But all these sorts of things are going to plant a little bit of a layer of doubt. Both in the team’s head and Lewis’ head of ‘What game are they playing?’, [and Mercedes wondering] ‘Has Lewis checked out, is he still on board?’.
Naomi Schiff also doubts Hamilton will leave Mercedes
Schiff believes the relationship between Hamilton and Mercedes will change in the coming months ( Image: Sky Sports)
“I know that there’s a sentiment from Mercedes and Lewis that they want to end this [relationship] on a high. I think they both really feel that way.”
Hamilton has endured a difficult season and, amid his desire to sign off at Mercedes in style, stressed that he was determined to turn his fortunes around during an interview with CBS last month.
He explained: “I think everyone in the team, they want it to be a great year. Everyone’s worked so hard back at the factory, no less than ever before.
“For me, this whole journey has been massively emotional just because I have so much love for this team. I’m not leaving because I’m unhappy there. I’m not leaving because of relationship issues.
“Mercedes supported me since I was 13 so I love the brand. I love the people. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. So it’s definitely a strange transition at the moment.”
