Former Mercedes AMG F1 boss Ross Brawn spoke at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix about Lewis Hamilton’s early season struggles with his car. The current Formula One sporting director believes that the seven-time world champion will not retire without trying to win an eighth F1 title.
Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in Sunday’s F1 Spanish Grand Prix and is only sixth in the drivers’ championship after six rounds. He is already 64 points behind Max Verstappen, and the British driver is already looking like he is out of contention for an eighth driver’s title this season, especially with a Mercedes that is far from being the best performing car in the paddock.
Brawn sees Hamilton still driving in 2023
As Mercedes chief executive between 2010 and 2013 and current Formula One sporting director Ross Brawn believes the Briton will not retire at the end of this season, even if it falls short of expectations.
“He’s still extremely fit and confident. I’m pretty sure he wants to win that eighth title and if it doesn’t happen this year as it probably will, he’ll try next year,” the current FOM boss told the Evening Standard in an interview in recent days.
“In the first few races he’s been looking for solutions and in doing so he’s been playing with different settings on the car. He’s potentially sacrificing races to try and get information and data that the team can use to solve the problem,” explained Ross Brawn, on Lewis Hamilton’s early season.
“That’s the feedback I’m getting from the team as George goes down a more conventional route and Lewis tries to solve the problem. That’s why I think people who say George has dominated him in the last few races can’t see the bigger picture.”
Toto Wolff, the current boss of the eight-time constructors’ world champion team, believes that both his cars have made progress and that the title is still possible this season. He is also increasingly satisfied with his car.
“It’s positive, I’m very happy with the progress. I want to thank everyone at the factory. We’re not among the fastest yet but we’re making progress,” said Lewis Hamilton after the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Silver Arrows will have another opportunity to prove their competitiveness this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Mercedes test driver says Hamilton’s view of his chances unrealistic
One of F1’s most experienced writers pens “Hamilton believes he could have fought it out for the race win”, had he not clashed with Magnussen during the early stages. Lewis revealed there were ‘experiments’ on team mate George Russells car that gave him an advantage over the 7 times world champion.
“They experimented with something on George’s car that ultimately proved to be the better….. READ MORE ON THIS STORY
>> I want to thank everyone at the factory….
Ham has been trained tby his PR team to say this unfailingly at every possible opportunity. His fans then go hoo-hah about his great qualities, his respect for his mechanics, his team spirit etc. etc. His pretence is disgusting.
Fully agree. It’s exactly that ‘I have the moral high ground’, politically correct, fake respectful attitude that makes me vomit. Especially when you then see the footage of LH on his step and is blond slavegirl running behind him packed and loaded with his stuff. Disgusting!