Breaking News: Lewis Hamilton has been restricted by a contractual clause from Mercedes…
Mercedes has reportedly issued specific directives to Lewis Hamilton following his decision to depart for Ferrari. Allegedly, Hamilton has been subjected to a ban aimed at preventing him from directly enticing Mercedes staff to join him on his new team. Departing from his longstanding tenure with the Silver Arrows at the season’s end to partner with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, Hamilton faces a setback in his aspirations to reunite with familiar colleagues.
According to reports from Planet F1, Hamilton’s Mercedes contract includes a ‘no-poaching’ clause, effectively prohibiting him from directly recruiting any team members post his move to Ferrari. This clause, intended to safeguard Mercedes’ personnel, poses a hurdle for Hamilton, particularly concerning key figures like his longtime race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington.
Despite the potential for figures like Bono and trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin to transition to Ferrari, Hamilton himself must abstain from direct involvement in such negotiations to comply with his contract’s stipulations. Similar contractual restrictions have been observed in the past with drivers like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who encountered limitations in bringing their engineers when transitioning to McLaren and Red Bull respectively.
