Lewis Hamilton, an F1 legend, has recently failed to deliver on the biggest motorsport stage. The 39-year-old racer is amid a disappointing season filled with setbacks. Since the conclusion of the final race in 2021, the Briton appears to have lost his once-magical touch, encountering significant challenges in securing a victory since then. While he has been criticized for his recent slump, the Mercedes’ F1 project is equally responsible for the downfall.
The Brackley engineers have failed to counter the underlying issues in the past year. Thus, the team has slipped away from its world title dream. Moreover, Hamilton has been vocal about the technical team’s inability to resolve the issues. As a result, the Mercedes management has been upset with him. Therefore, in a shocking revelation, Hamilton signed a new contract with his childhood favorite, Ferrari. Consequently, the British driver is poised to depart from the Silver setup, while his fans allege that the team is prioritizing George Russell over him.
Toto Wolff’s Take On Internal Rivalry Between Hamilton And Russell
Since Goergre Russell joined the Petronas AMG setup, he has been a competitor of Lewis Hamilton. While the seven-time world champion is enduring a patchy season, his counterpart has outplayed him. Russell has finished seven out of eight races ahead of Hamilton in the ongoing season. Therefore, this has spurred speculations that Russell is getting all the upgrades from the Mercedes setup. Hamilton’s post-race interview, in which he despondently remarked that he could never “outrun Russell in this season,” has sparked controversy and raised questions. Notably, Russell was equipped with a new set of front wings, while Hamilton used the old ones. However, the 26-year-old racer revealed that the team was on the verge of resorting to a ‘coin toss’ decision, given the availability of only a single front wing. But the senior teammate offered Russell to use the upgrade for the Monaco race.
Toto Wolff, on the other hand, addressed the continuing intra-team rivalry during a media interview. The Austrian executive believes that periodic irritations are usual among the team members. Every driver wants to perform at their best; therefore, there are times when things may get heated. He asserted that the Silver Arrows sought to provide both drivers with the perfect car and strategy. On the contrary, Jamie Chadwick, a renowned women’s racer, feels Hamilton is ‘spinning’ the narrative. She said the Brit might be playing a victim card to hide his shortcomings. The rivalry at Mercedes looks one-sided, as George has the upper hand over Lewis. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the Brackley-based outfit will equip Lewis Hamilton’s W15 with the latest front-wing upgrade for the upcoming race in Canada.
THIS Team’s Recent Upsurgence Warms Hamilton’s Heart
The Red Bull team enjoyed two years of unchallenged supremacy. However, this season has transitioned into fierce competition. Ferrari and McLaren are slowly inching closer to RBR. They’ve defeated the reigning world champions twice in the last three outings.
However, the Mercedes driver is delighted to witness McLaren’s upsurge. The McLaren team gave him his break, and he was with the team for five years. Therefore, his former team’s performance has ‘warmed his heart.’ Ultimately, he was hopeful for a similar result for his current team, Mercedes.