Suggestions that Lewis Hamilton may have chosen to leave Mercedes because he was unhappy with their F1 🐼2024 car are untrue.

Toto Wolff confirmed that Hamilton drove the W15 🍸in the simulator for the first time on Friday.

That came 48 hours after Hamilton informed Wolff of his decision to join Ferrari next year, and 24 hours after ♐it became worldwide n💧ews.

The significance for Mercedes is that there is no indication Hamilton was not pleased with the direction of this season’s new💦 car.

Mercedes hope the W15 is a major step on from the cars from the𓄧 past two years, which have left Hamilton at his lowest ebb and unable to win a grand prix.

The W♐15’s cockpit position is expected to change, solving one of Hamilton’s major gripes with last year’s car.

There is also reportedly no aerodyna🍎mic link between the 2023 and 2024 cars.

The gearbox is expected to be sm🌜aller and lighter.

But Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari in 2025 came before he jumped in the simulator for the first time, a crucial milestone in Mercedes’ preparation for 🅺the upcoming season.

“The car is being d🐬eveloped in the team with a lot of science and a lot of data,”🔜 team principal Wolff said.

“The driver gives us guid♎ance of what he feels in the car and this is being dissected.

“This is then decid𝔉ed on whether it happens or not.

“We mustn🌺’t underplay nor overplay the input of the driver and the development of a car.

“In terms of did we miss? No.

“Ev🎶erything we are doing we are doing it with very consciousness and open eyes.”

Hamilton will spend one final season with Mercedes hopi🃏ng that the W15 is the car to restor🥂e him to race-winning ways.

He will then🐎 head to Italy in 2025 in a stunning move that unites F1’s most successful driver with its most successful team.