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It doesn't rain, it pours for Mercedes, by the looks of it. Just a few days after it was confirmed that Jerome D'Ambrosio and Loic Serra had departed, the team has confirmed that the chief aerodynamicist, Gioacchino Vino, has also left the team.
Mercedes is one team that was built on having the best men from all over the paddock. Ever since the lost title battle of the 2021 F1 season, that has not been the case. There has been a wholesale departure of some precious talent from the team that's going to hurt.
Last season saw Mike Elliott, someone who has been part of the team for close to a decade, leave Mercedes. Similarly, quite a few others have left and joined teams like Aston Martin, Red Bull, and McLaren. So much so that Christian Horner has revealed recently that RBPT had acquired more than 200 key personnel from Toto Wolff's team.
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The biggest name to leave is star driver Lewis Hamilton. The British driver announced his departure from Mercedes early in the season and will be joining Ferrari in 2025.
Lewis, however, has not gone alone, as the likes of Loic Serra, who was a key member at the Silver Arrows, and Jerome D'Ambrosio have made the move to Ferrari as well. Daniel Moxon from Mirror Sport posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"Mercedes have confirmed to @MirrorSport that chief aerodynamicist Gioacchino Vino has left the team. His departure follows the announcement that Jerome D’Ambrosio and Loic Serra are headed to Ferrari 🏎️ #F1"
Lewis Hamilton wants Kimi Antonelli to be his replacement at Mercedes
As stated earlier, Lewis Hamilton has also called time on his stint at the German team and will be moving to Ferrari. This does, however, leave a seat on the team that has not yet been filled.
Lewis was questioned during the Imola GP pre-race press conference over his choice of replacement and he went with Kimi Antonelli. He said:
"Honestly, I have no idea what Toto's plans are, but I think for me, taking on the youngster. If it were my job, my role, I would take on Kimi [Andrea Antonelli]."
Mercedes is a team in big trouble at the moment. It is yet to secure the future for the second seat. At the same time, resources are now bleeding out of the team, unlike ever before. There is a major rebuild needed for the team, and it has to start as soon as possible.
