Hamilton and Sainz salute the mechanics, “shadow heroes” of F1

With the increase in the number of Grands Prix and the spread of the seasons, Formula 1 does not do any favors to the men and women who work there, in particular the team staff who take care of the cars as well as other tasks such as assembly/dismantling of installations before and after GPs.

The 2024 season was, in this respect, a record season with a total of 24 GPs contested and several sequences of three races in as many weekends. Questioned on the subject at the very end of the campaign, certain drivers were keen to praise the work and dedication of the mechanics.

This was particularly the case for Carlos Sainz: “You often see drivers trying to put the spotlight on mechanics because to me they are some of the heroes of this sport. They are the ones who work long hours, who travel in different conditions than the most prominent members of the the team. They spend hours and hours away from home They all have families waiting for them and they spend even more time than us on the circuits. their efforts and their passion.”

Even more, while the Spaniard was going to leave Ferrari for Williams, he wanted to highlight the passion of the Scuderia's mechanics: “One of the main things I'm going to miss at Ferrari is the mechanics. The passion you see in them, with no disrespect to the other teams, is something incredible to see. They understand racing. They understand the strategy. They follow the race. And you can see they know exactly what's going on.

“When they come back to Maranello, they are even a bit famous, because they are mechanics at Ferrari. And that only happens at Ferrari. I spent a lot of time with them and, yes, I have the impression that it's a very special character trait that Ferrari mechanics have and which I will definitely miss. But yes. […] we become friends. I will continue to see them in the paddock. And I feel like sometimes it's worth paying tribute to those people because they really are a big part of the sport and a big part of the success of any Formula 1 team.”

Present at the same conference, Lewis Hamilton, who replaces Sainz at Ferrari, did not fail to echo the words of his counterpart: “I think there is not much to add, they are heroes in the shadows. And all the credit goes to them, because they are the soldiers who are really on the front line. They are all there on weekends.”

“The team is the most important thing”he added. “And when it comes to the connections between each member of the team, no one is more important than another. Everyone has to push in the same direction and pull their weight, which they do. It's a a real privilege to see people give the best of themselves, especially when everyone is united. Sometimes, it's not always the case. The rhythm is not always perfect, but from time to time,. you achieve this synergy and together you achieve an extraordinary performance. It’s really special.”