‘They’re all switching out’: Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes staff after James Vowles exit

Lewis Hamilton is set to sign a multi-year contract extension with Mercedes in the coming weeks to keep him at the team beyond 2023.

Many sports have different systems for trading and transferring staff, with the quality of these individuals becoming more and more important in Formula 1.

With there only being ten teams on the grid, teams are constantly looked to poach talented staff from their rivals by paying a fee to the team or waiting for contracts to expire.

This has become a key part of the sport in recent years, as the new budget cap means that teams now need to rely on getting the most out of their resources, rather than just outspending the opposition.

In the NFL, players and staff move via a trading system, where draft picks, players and staff can all move between teams via negotiated trade offers.

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These inter-team moves are something which seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has said is similar to the system in Formula 1, with individuals moving from team to team on a regular basis.

“In my team there are 2000 people,” he told UBS and Mercedes.

“It is actually over 2000 people now to build two cars.

“They’re all switching out, it’s a bit like in the NFL for example. I was just at the Broncos game in LA, just learning more and more about the NFL, just how players are switched out so often through a season.

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“It’s very, very similar for us with engineers and designers. They’re not being traded as such, but they’re being chased by other teams, you know, the other team wants out aerodynamicist or our tyre guy.”

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One of the most high-profile staff moves in recent seasons involved Dan Fallows, who now serves as Aston Martin’s technical director after a spell as Red Bull’s head of aerodynamics.

Having played a part in the design of the RB-18, the team will be hoping that Fallows can design a successful car for Aston Martin this year, having shown signs of improvement towards the end of last year.

Mercedes strategic director James Vowles has also made a high-profile move, signing as Williams’ team principal as he looks to further his career after over a decade with the Silver Arrows.