James Allison recalls the 'drama' surrounding Lewis Hamilton and the perpetually recurring message to Bono

“Bono, my tires are gone. is the most misleading and infamous message from Lewis Hamilton’s radio diaries. After getting that message across and putting others at ease, Lewis would make the tires last and take the top step of the podium. It was a common theme of the F1 era ahead of 2022. The man who was at Lewis’s side through it all looks back on their time together and lets slip what he will miss about home.

Earlier this year it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would leave a fifteen-year partnership with Mercedes at the end of 2024. Starting next season, he will appear in the iconic Ferrari red suit, as he bagged a $100 prize. million offers to drive to Maranello. The end of the historic partnership with Mercedes will be bittersweet. In the latest episode of Beyond the Grid Podcast, Mercedes technical director James Allison talks about what he’ll miss about Lewis, his famous “the tires are gone” message and the drama that comes with being a teammate of someone.

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Tom Clarkson asked James: “What will he miss about Lewis? James said, “I mean, just the days where he was just producing total magic. That would make you leave. Oh my God!!! Putting a car on a road with such precision that every other driver around him had no choice but to surrender to what Lewis was doing on the road, the ability to make a tire last over and over again, even telling Bono. that would not be the case. He does a lot of that. The drama that ensues with him as a teammate but just with brilliant performances, as I said before, I think he is the best racing driver who has ever existed and I still believe in that.

Allison also shed light on the qualifying gap between the Silver Arrows teammates.

‘George was right’: James Allison explains Lewis Hamilton-George Russell qualifying

George Russell 8- Lewis Hamilton 1. The story of this season’s qualifying was shockingly tilted against team champion Lewis. Key Mercedes figure and technical director James Allison answers whether he thinks George has taken the next step this year and whether the young Briton has responded well to Lewis’ move to Ferrari.

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Tom Clarkson asked James: “Do you think George has taken it a step further this year? Do you think he reacted well to the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s departure?
James, “I think he’s very, very consistent in getting the car to be at its best in qualifying and you know he’s really good at that. I think it’s a lot more balanced in the race and Lewis’ race pace has been very strong compared to George’s a few times this year, but in qualifying George definitely had the upper hand.

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Why do you think Lewis is lagging behind his teammate George in qualifying?