Andrew Shovlin has denied claims that the weak performance of the W15 triggered Lewis Hamiltonto swap Mercedes for Ferrari. Instead, the team’s trackside engineering director believes that the legendary Brit is chasing a ‘new chapter’ in his career.
When Hamilton announced his decision to end an 11-year partnership with the Silver Arrows at the start of February, many speculated that his decision could be linked to his pre-season experience with the team’s 2024 challenger, the W15.
This speculation was fuelled when Mercedesarrived in Bahrain for the season opener with the fourth-fastest car in the field. However, given the hype surrounding Mercedes’ power unit programme ahead of the 2026 engine regulation changes, it is more likely that other factors influenced Hamilton’s decision.
Shovlin confirmed this, although he did admit that performance would have played at least a small role in Hamilton’s decision. “I think if we’d been winning championships, it would have been difficult for Lewis to say no,” he explained.
