Mercedes team won't change Lewis Hamilton's mechanics for new Formula One season

22 February 2017 11:10

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team have confirmed that they will not change his mechanics for the forthcoming Formula One season.

Hamilton's world championship-winning crew was dismantled at the end of 2015 with five members - including his number one mechanic - switching from his side of the garage to Nico Rosberg's and vice-versa.

Several factors contributed to Mercedes' decision - with a bid to prevent division in their team chiefly among them - but the move unsettled Hamilton and he claimed it had a psychological effect on his title defence.

Hamilton, who also encountered several mechanical problems last season, lost out on the championship to Rosberg by five points despite winning more grands prix than his Mercedes team-mate.

Speaking shortly after the season ended, Hamilton told Channel 4: "Next year I'll speak to [team boss] Toto Wolff and say 'look, I don't want my guys being changed'.

"I want to keep all my engineers, all my mechanics. There's not a single person that needs to leave."

And ahead of the launch of their new car at Silverstone on Wednesday, Mercedes have confirmed to Press Association Sport that Hamilton will have the same crew for the new campaign which gets under way in Melbourne on March 26.

Hamilton, 32, will be joined at Mercedes this season by former Williams driver Valtteri Bottas following Rosberg's shock decision to retire from the sport just five days after he won the championship in Abu Dhabi.

"I know him very little," said Hamilton when quizzed about Bottas during a recent UBS Q & A on Facebook. "It is interesting to see how it will go, how quick he will be, how quickly he adapts and how he copes with pressure.

"The most fascinating thing is the mind of my competitors and what limits they will go to.

"Some people will sell their mum to win a race and sell your soul, and some people will do other things, so it is interesting to see what direction Valtteri will go."

The new Mercedes team-mates will on Thursday join forces to take the wraps off the car which they hope will continue to be the pinnacle of the Formula One field following three seasons of domination.

Hamilton and Bottas will get their first taste of the Mercedes W08 at the opening of two pre-season tests in Barcelona next week.

Source: PA