F1 News: Mercedes driver admits cutting ties with team

F1 Off the Track

Mercedes F1 driver admits cutting ties with team

The driver has an unusual plan during race weekends

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 20 March 2024 19:02 Updated: 20:33

A Mercedes driver has admitted an unusual tactic to deal with his team's communications during race weekends.

Now also a Formula 1 pundit with Sky Sports, Anthony Davidson still conducts his role as a simulator and demonstration driver for Mercedes at the age of 44.

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Davidson used to boast a full-time seat in F1, when he drove with the Super Aguri team in 2007, and has also worked with Minardi, BAR and Honda in separate stints in the sport.

The Brit has become a fixture of F1 coverage in the UK, with his analysis of various technical aspects via the 'Sky pad' entertaining viewers.

Davidson's multiple roles within F1 may provide somewhat of a conflict of interests, but the 44-year-old is just as critical of Mercedes' recent downfalls as any of his Sky colleagues.

Anthony Davidson's analysis is often spot on

Anthony Davidson works with a state-of-the-art simulator

Davison's Mercedes role

Now, Davidson has revealed how he manages to continue to take an objective view on teams up and down the grid, despite working with the Brackley-based outfit.

“I don't really talk about it too much, the sim role, with Mercedes," he told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

"I like to when I'm behind the microphone treat it as completely unbiased.

”Actually on a race weekend, I purposely completely cut all communication with the team. So I can be more genuine in my view, and also the way I anticipate their weekend or even comment on their weekend.

”In many ways, I'm maybe a bit more harsh on them than then with other teams because I know the work that goes into behind the scenes with that team and I know that the blood sweat and tears that goes into operating such a successful F1 team.”

Mercedes Formula 1 Anthony Davidson