Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most wins (103) and podiums (198) achieved in Formula One. The British driver is also tied to Michael Schumacher for winning the most titles in the history of the sport. However, the tables have turned for the worst for Hamilton since the 2022 season.
The Mercedes ace is yet to win a race in almost 2.5 seasons as the team’s troubles with adjusting to new regulations have pushed Lewis Hamilton into the mid-field. While recent upgrades have been encouraging, Hamilton’s driving style is believed to be the biggest roadblock hindering his success in qualifying as well as the main races.
Lewis Hamilton’s Aggressive Driving Style Leading To Higher Tyre Degradation
Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton is struggling to turn his final season at Mercedes into a fairytale to end his 12-year-long tenure. 2024 season challenger W15 have been relatively worse than its predecessors. Both Hamilton and Russell were made to battle into midfield before the team came up with upgrades in the Canadian Grand Prix. Hamilton eliminated his podium drought of the year by finishing at P3 in Barcelona. However, Lewis’ struggles in qualifying have been a matter of discussion since the beginning of the year. While some believe it’s the cold tyre temperature, a few blame the rear wing instability for inconsistencies. However, AMuS have unravelled an entirely different perspective to make sense of Lewis’ struggles.
In a recent media report. AMuS alleged that Lewis Hamilton has a very aggressive driving style wherein he brakes too hard on the corners and releases too fast at the exit. That is causing excess stress on the tyre wear, resulting in higher degradations. The report mentions that Pirelli tyres introduced in the 2024 season are sensitive and do not suit Lewis’ driving style. Hence, tyre degradation is believed to be the biggest factor contributing to Hamilton’s struggles in the qualifying and main races equally. Besides the tyre issue, the seven-time world champion is also fighting a lack of pace and overall faulty fundamentals of the W15. The latest front wing upgrades have resulted in lap time gains to an extent. However, to be able to beat Red Bull and McLaren, Mercedes is going to need a lot more than the package they currently have.
Christian Horner Drags Lewis Hamilton To Take Shots At Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff has been unapologetically lobbying hard to lure Max Verstappen into Mercedes. However, Max has reiterated time and again that he wants to stay at Red Bull until the end of his contract in 2028. Meanwhile, Red Bull boss Christian Horner mocked Toto by taking a shot at Mercedes’ competitiveness.
Horner said that Lewis Hamilton, who caused fluctuations in the driver market in the first place, had all the information on Mercedes’ 2026 preparations and still chose to leave for Ferrari. That reflects on Mercedes’ shortcomings, and hence, Max Verstappen has no reason to leave a champion-winning team to join a mid-field team. “I think it’s purely a tactic of distraction,” Horner said.
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