Is Lewis Hamilton being kept from the Mercedes pre-race meetings? F1 insider gives his take

F1 insider Gary Anderson recently speculated that Lewis Hamilton has stopped attending pre-race meetings at Mercedes as his transfer to Ferrari gradually approaches. Before the 2024 F1 season began, Ferrari announced they had successfully hired Hamilton as their permanent driver for 2025 and beyond.

Mercedes started searching for a competent driver to replace the seven-time world champion and eventually hired Kimi Antonelli from their junior roster. Though Hamilton continues to be a part of the Silver Arrows, a few hints were picked up that he has not been an integral part of certain team meetings.

In the Singapore GP, there was a conversation between Hamilton and his race engineer, Bono, about an early pitstop, where the British driver was confused about how early the team was planning to call him in. Since Hamilton started the race on softs, the team decided to pit him early, much to his dismay.

Gary Anderson speculated that the fact that Lewis Hamilton was unaware of his early pitstop window could mean he was not a major part of the pre-race meeting, where pitstop strategies were discussed. He told The Race:

“It seems from the Lewis Hamilton radio traffic about his pitstop – in which he’s telling Mercedes it brought him in way too soon – that he doesn’t play a pre-race part in the planning. Everything seems to come as a surprise to him.”

In the Singapore GP, Hamilton finished P6, while his teammate George Russell was able to overtake Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the race and secured P4 for himself.

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When Lewis Hamilton claimed that he was still part of every Mercedes meeting

In July, Lewis Hamilton claimed he was still part of most meetings that took place at Mercedes. Speaking to Motorsport Week, he said he understands why the team would start excluding him from meetings, saying it will be inevitable as he soon moves to Ferrari.

"I haven’t been excluded from any meetings and we’re still working on this car and trying to get the car to the front. So it’s still very collaborative. And I mean, I’ve been here a long time. So if there’s a point where they’re like, we’re preferring (you) not to be in this meeting, that’s totally fine with me," Hamilton said.

"I mean, it’s inevitable perhaps at one stage, but at the end of the day, nothing I have, no information that I would get this year will impact next year because I’m not in communication," he added.

Hamilton will not get a gardening leave like other senior team members usually get. He will directly move from Mercedes to Ferrari after the 2024 F1 season ends.