Source:REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki
[Saba Sports News] In Lewis Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari, the track results were not particularly impressive, but his behind-the-scenes actions sparked ongoing discussions. Bernie Collins, former strategic director of Aston Martin, recently remarked that seeing Hamilton submit improvement documents to Ferrari reminded her of Sebastian Vettel’s early days at Aston Martin.
In an interview, Collins recalled events from 2021, noting that Vettel was known for frequently questioning strategies over radio communications, which made her quite nervous. However, Vettel did not forcefully dismiss the team; instead, he first observed, understood, and then made suggestions. Ultimately, both sides chose to integrate their strengths and gradually built trust. Because of this, Collins believes the key is not whether the driver offers feedback, but whether the team is willing to listen and implement real changes. She stated that if Hamilton feels his suggestions are not being taken seriously or if he doesn’t see improvements happening, it could affect his confidence.
Collins pointed out that a driver needs to regard the team as a second family. Throughout a long season filled with racing, testing, and simulator work, if everyone is not fully aligned, it becomes difficult to extract performance details. From my perspective, one reason Hamilton is adapting slowly is the significant cultural and environmental change. Ferrari is almost like Italy’s national team, and its pace, communication style, and internal structure are vastly different from the Mercedes environment he is familiar with.