Hamilton’s Mercedes Farewell Marred by Early Struggles

Lewis Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes has kicked off with frustrations and setbacks, prompting speculation about his focus and commitment as he prepares to join Ferrari in 2025, according to comments from former F1 driver David Coulthard.

Despite a remarkable era of success with Mercedes, which saw Hamilton clinch six World Championship titles and the team secure eight consecutive constructors’ crowns from 2013 to 2021, the start of the 2024 season has been challenging for the British driver.

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Hamilton, who had expressed full dedication to Mercedes for his last year with the team, has faced difficulties in the opening two rounds of the season. He was outpaced by his teammate, George Russell, in both qualifying and race performance at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

Coulthard remarked that Hamilton appears unsettled with the Mercedes car, suggesting that his focus might already be shifting towards his impending move to Ferrari. He noted Hamilton’s struggles compared to Russell’s confident performance and suggested that Hamilton’s mind might be preoccupied with his future team.

While Mercedes has been unable to match Red Bull’s dominance in the new ground effect era of F1, team principal Toto Wolff remains optimistic about their prospects. Despite trailing Red Bull by 61 points in the Constructors’ Championship, Wolff expressed confidence in Mercedes’ ability to address their performance deficit and bounce back strongly, targeting improvements for the upcoming race in Australia.

“It’s been two and a half years that we are chasing this fundamental change,” Wolff stated.

“It’s been two years that there is something we need to spot, and that’s the thing to unlock. We have just got to work.

“It’s not through lack of trying. We’ve pushed so hard and we’re going to give it a massive, massive go now in the next week, with more data to understand. “

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“We are going to come back to Melbourne strong. We are on a mission on this one. And I am 100 per cent sure that we are going to unlock that performance gap.”

The early struggles for Hamilton and Mercedes have raised questions about the team’s ability to compete at the highest level in their final season together, with eyes now turning towards their efforts to bridge the gap to their rivals before Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari next year.