It’s Lewis Hamilton’s worst F1 season start to date.
Lewis Hamilton has come under fire for allegedly refusing to acknowledge the truth about Mercedes’ W15. In light of Hamilton’s continued struggles this season, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson has advised the British driver to “learn” from teammate George Russell.
With just 19 points in his first 19 games of the 2024 season, Hamilton is off to a terrible start. Given the tensions that seem to be building between him and the German constructor, his departure from Mercedes may come at the perfect time.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has been critical of the W15 car and has played around with its setup. Nonetheless, Anderson, a longtime Mercedes critic, feels Hamilton has his head in the sand and won’t accept the situation the Silver Arrows are in.
“There might be something in Hamilton chasing the few times that Mercedes have found their sweet spot in the last few years,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“It has been there on occasion, but it has only been temporary—two poles and one win since the end of 2021. In general, the Mercedes is unreliable. Hamilton does not appear ready to accept the fact that all of this is probably misguiding him.”
In addition, he stated that Hamilton’s actions could have a negative impact on Mercedes in the future and that they would have a knock-on effect that would hinder the car’s long-term development. A team cannot establish a standard for performance and setup if misguided decisions are made during setup. Learning about the vehicle is restricted. The development path, understanding what to work on in the wind tunnel, and enhancing aerodynamic performance will all be confused if that is missing.
“It gives a team no constructive guidance. Hamilton still has a headache from this, but at least he has a deadline as he heads to Ferrari. To avoid finishing the year as the second-best Mercedes driver, he should look to Russell for guidance and make the most of the resources at his disposal in the interim.
Hamilton has 19 races remaining in his Mercedes career before making the contentious move to fellow Formula One powerhouse Ferrari. The 37-year-old is eager to add to his already impressive record of 103 race victories in order to cap off his remarkable career with Mercedes on a high note. Next weekend, when the Formula One circus arrives in Miami for the first of three US Grand Prix, is when they will have the chance to accomplish that.
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