Mercedes chief race engineer Andrew Shovlin has claimed that Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t have decided to leave the team if they were winning championships. The Brackley-based outfit saw a major fall in performance after the 2021 F1 season.

Prior to the start of the current F1 season, Hamilton’s surprise move to Ferrari despite a two-year contract with Mercedes stole the headlines. This was seen as one of the biggest moves in the history of the sport by many. However, the main reason behind the decision wasn’t revealed. Many considered it to be Mercedes’ recent performances, as the team had failed to win races. Hamilton had also stayed winless since the 2021 season.

Shovlin recently said that if the team had remained competitive enough to win championships, the 39-year-old wouldn’t have decided to leave the team.

“I think if we’d been winning championships, it would have been difficult for Lewis to say no,” RacingNews365 quoted Shovlin as saying.

At the same time, he feels that Hamilton is not necessarily moving to Ferrari because of the team’s performance.

“However, I think his biggest reasons are not necessarily ones of car performance. He clearly wants to have another chapter in his career beyond his very successful one with Mercedes. He’s of an age where if he was going to do that, he would need to do it sooner rather than later,” he added.

Another reason that has been suggested for the seven-time World Champion’s move to Ferrari is that Mercedes offered him a 1 + 1 year contract. Reportedly, the Brackley-based outfit was more focused on their junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is speculated to be Hamilton’s replacement for next season.

“He doesn’t come to Ferrari to enjoy his retirement”: Ferrari chairperson on Lewis Hamilton joining the Italian squad

While Andrew Shovlin feels that winning a championship isn’t necessarily the reason Lewis Hamilton signed with the team, John Elkann, chairperson of Ferrari’s holding company has a contrasting view on the question.

Speaking recently to Corriere dello Sport, he said:

“Certain things happen very quickly. This was the moment when he and Ferrari found each other. He wants to win the eighth title, Ferrari wants to win and with Lewis, it is stronger. He doesn’t come to Ferrari to enjoy his retirement and it’s important to have motivated people around him, who want to win.”

Ferrari looked a promising destination for Hamilton at the start of the season as they battled Red Bull Racing, who had the fastest car. However, in the last couple of races, the SF-24 seems to have lost the hold it had against its competitors. Both McLaren and Mercedes have made impressive recent developments in their respective cars.