END OF YEAR REPORT: Mercedes – An inconsistent season and a bittersweet farewell for Hamilton

Going ahead

Ending the season a distant fourth within the constructors’ championship – their weakest consequence since 2012 – will, for sure, not have been the end result that Mercedes have been hoping for in 2024.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin admitted on the marketing campaign’s finish that it had been a “lengthy and, at instances, powerful season” for the crew, in addition to acknowledging that “there may be extra work for us to do if we’re to problem for championships as soon as once more”.

That is one thing that the women and men again at base in Brackley and Brixworth are targeted on going ahead – and, given how more and more aggressive the sphere grew to become because the 2024 season progressed, the Silver Arrows can be hoping to get themselves again within the combine amongst their rivals on the entrance on a extra constant foundation subsequent 12 months.

PALMER: Hamilton’s battling Abu Dhabi drive was a fine farewell to Mercedes – and a promising prelude to his Ferrari move

And whereas a brand new raft of rules is not going to be launched into the game till 2026, there may be already a brand new period unfolding at Mercedes in 2025 given the exit of Hamilton, whose 12-year relationship with the crew has been the longest and most profitable within the sport’s historical past. Given the challenges of their remaining season collectively, 2024 was a bittersweet ending to that partnership.

This ending has introduced ahead the beginning of Antonelli’s arrival into F1, with the 18-year-old one in every of quite a lot of rookies getting ready to make their debut subsequent season. It will likely be fascinating to see how the younger Italian fares as he steps up for the most important transfer of his so-far fast rise by way of the motorsport ranks.

Russell, in the meantime, enters into his fourth season racing for the squad and can now tackle the position of crew chief, whereas Valtteri Bottas returns as a reserve driver. The Finn was a preferred member of the Mercedes outfit throughout his stint as Hamilton’s crew mate from 2017-2021 – however time will inform if the Silver Arrows are capable of recapture these glory days within the close to future…