Tech Galaxy Unveiled: The Engine Behind Lewis Hamilton's F1 Domination
Lewis Hamilton had just clinched his 11th Grand Prix victory in 2018, doubling his rival Sebastian Vettel's count, who had only recently celebrated his win. With this fifth world championship title, Hamilton shared the victory with a sea of Mercedes team members.
While technical director James Allison acknowledged Hamilton's immense talent, he didn't forget to emphasize the team's collective efforts. "When I came here, I felt like a fraud," said Allison in the team's headquarters in Brackley. "But I was treated like everyone else. There are high expectations for all of us in the starting grid, but here, it's all about teamwork."
The secret behind Hamilton's continuing dominance, according to tech journalist Craig Scarborough, lies in the galaxy of star engineers assembled by Mercedes. "Mercedes is a team of brilliant engineers who don't have egos," Scarborough explained. "They're both very capable engineers and could easily be technical directors for other teams. They do outstanding work together."
The cornerstone of this combination was Paddy Low, who, although Allison's predecessor and later moved to Williams, played a decisive role in assembling the dream engineering team, including Aldo Costa and Jay Husband Willis.
Scarborough also praised team principal Toto Wolff for keeping the engineers' work uninterrupted. "He just lets them get on with it," Scarborough said. "Controlling a team like Toto's is easy, but he doesn't interfere. He allows the engineers to work and doesn't put them in front of the cameras or in the garage. If you try to overload them, you'll run into problems. Editing is not his thing."
Stars from Finance Pro to Garbage Collector
Allison's validation came quickly, with him avoiding any individual praise, instead focusing on the team's collective performance. "Playing the diva role is completely out of place with the team spirit," Allison said. "There are no egos here. That doesn't mean everyone is quiet and humble. There are big personalities in the team."
"Everyone plays their part," Allison continued. "The finance team, the business people, the media people, the janitors – they all work just as hard. It's the same effort from everyone."
The Abu Dhabi victory marked only the cherry on top. Hamilton dominated the qualifying and the race, while the celebration began right after the Mexican Grand Prix finished, which solidified Mercedes' constructors' title victory over Ferrari.
Although Allison joined the team more recently and in 2017 replaced him after a previous stint at Ferrari, he believes this year's success was the most impressive yet. "Everyone is happy," Allison said. "Everyone was full of joy, satisfaction, and relief. I'm so grateful to be a part of it, and Toto put me in first place."
At home, Allison's son talks about two types of fun: Type 1, which is always enjoyable, and Type 2, which is painful but ultimately unforgettable.
"This season was a lot of fun," Allison said. "Although it might have been painful at times, it was obvious in the end. We were put to the test, but we weren't found lacking."
The Enrichment from Tech Galaxy
Although Paddy Low played a significant role in assembling the dream engineering team, his role was not limited to this. Here are some additional details about Low's role in Mercedes' success during his tenure:
- Appointment: Paddy Low joined Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains as their Chief Technical Officer in 2013, responsible for overseeing the team's power unit development and hybrid technology.
- Power Unit Domination: During Low's tenure, Mercedes emerged as the dominant force in hybrid power unit technology, consistently outperforming rivals and setting new benchmarks.
- Cutting-Edge Hybrid Technology: Low played a key role in developing the cutting-edge Mercedes-Benz hybrid power unit, which has since become the standard for modern Formula 1 engines.
- Renewal of Contract: Despite his departure, Paddy Low's influence on Mercedes' success continued. In 2016, Mercedes announced a contract extension for Low, ensuring his continued involvement in the team's development efforts.
These details, while not central to the original article, further emphasize Paddy Low's impact on Mercedes' Formula 1 dominance during his time as the team's CTO.
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