When you think of the heart of Mercedes’ F1 success, you have a hard time looking past Lewis Hamilton. The Brit is without a doubt the most important driver in his history. But he may not be the apple of the eye when it comes to being the personal favorite of his engineering team.
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The ‘Brackley Brothers’ – Andrew Shovlin, James Vowles, Ron Meadows and Simon Cole – recently appeared on F1’s famous podcast, Beyond the Grid. You’ve been part of the team since it was BAR, then Honda, then Brawn GP and finally Mercedes.
Formula 1 F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates victory on the podium with Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington Pool over REUTERS / Jose Sena Goulao
Their vitality for the team goes beyond their role as trackside engineering and their presence beyond the pit wall, where the four sit across from each other on a race weekend.
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But who is the favorite driver you’ve ever worked with?
German legend takes the cake
“Michael Schumacher, but mostly because I was in awe of him before he arrived and when he left the team I was even more impressed in front of him just because he behaved and treated everyone on the team,” said Ron Meadows.
“Is Lewis listening? Is he listening to your podcast? “Simon Cole chuckled before choosing the German as well.
“I would say Michael Schumacher, not just because it’s kind of a common theme, but because he was really impressive when we worked with him.”
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY – JULY 23: Michael Schumacher of Germany and Mercedes GP speaks to his race engineer Andrew Shovlin during practice for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring on July 23, 2010 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
James Vowles, the chief strategist, also interfered. Like the others, he vouched for Michael Schumacher. The Ferrari cornerstone inspired the team’s success in the 2000s and we can see how he did it.
“I would go with Michael because I had a perception that was completely wrong of him before he got there. I thought he was arrogant, I thought he was cold because that’s the impression you have. It only took me a few minutes to realize that this was not true. And his greatness really shined during the time we were with him and we learned a lot from him. “
Shovlin picks Jenson Button as his favorite driver over Lewis Hamilton
Andrew Shovlin was Jenson Button’s race engineer during his famous championship win in 2009. Of course, the two share a strong bond and Shovlin couldn’t look past him as his personal favorite.
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“I can’t leave Jenson out, can I? As an engineer, I saw that I learned a lot with him at work and only had a lot of nice memories and funny moments. “
VALENCIA, SPAIN – AUGUST 21: Jenson Button (R) from Great Britain and Brawn GP speak to his race engineer Andrew Shovlin as he prepares during practice for the European Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Valencia Street Circuit on 21 August 2009 to drive Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
However, this is not intended to diminish Lewis Hamilton’s influence on the team or the relationship he shares with his teammates. It’s just that the choices of these guys are either more personal to them or just out of admiration for Schumacher.
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