1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill argued that Ferrari's failure to heed Lewis Hamilton's demands in their partnership with him would be a huge mistake. Hill expressed these views on the BBC's Chequered Flag podcast after Hamilton's emotional victory with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
According to Hill, Hamilton convinced Ferrari to use his preferred Carbon Industrie brake discs and pads after a process that began with a different brake supplier at the start of the season. Hamilton had worked with this supplier throughout his entire career at Mercedes. When his teammate Charles Leclerc attributed his accident at the Monaco Grand Prix to Brembo brakes, he also switched to the Carbon Industrie system used by Hamilton, starting from Barcelona.<\/p>\n
\u2018"He managed to get Lewis Ferrari to listen to him. He made him say, 'I need these things in the car,'" said Hill, emphasizing the critical importance of the braking system for drivers: "If you're going to brake in the last millisecond, you have to trust that equipment. You have to be able to feel control over the car as you go into a corner."\u2019<\/p>\n
Hill highlighted Hamilton's remarkable recovery in Barcelona, following a period of near-complete displacement during his final days at Mercedes. 'We suffered the pain of Abu Dhabi, Mercedes didn't have a competitive car, it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to regain his form, and last year he was in complete despair. Now he's back and he's delivered,' he said.<\/p>\n
Hill also stated that Ferrari's reluctance to listen to Hamilton could harm the team, and particularly highlighted the role of team principal Fred Vasseur in this process: 'Vasseur has known Hamilton since very early days. He is in a position to tell Ferrari, "You must give him what he wants." Otherwise, Lewis would be completely alone in this organization. Ferrari, where the pressure is so intense, is not a place where one would want to be alone.' Hill added that this dynamic resembled the partnership between Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn, and described Vasseur as Hamilton's Brawn.<\/p>\n