As Formula One enjoys its summer break, drivers and teams alike are taking stock of their performances so far this season. For seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the break has been an opportunity to reflect on both his triumphs and his challenges.
Despite victories at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Hamilton has openly admitted that his qualifying performance has been less than ideal. The 39-year-old Briton has highlighted one key problem: he has been making too many adjustments to his car during qualifying, which has led to a lack of consistency in his results.
The problem with qualifying
Hamilton has revealed that his tendency to make constant changes to his car’s set-up during qualifying has hindered his ability to secure pole positions.
“I’m stubborn,” confessed Hamilton.
“I keep trying to drive the way I want to drive. But I realise that it doesn’t always work, so I try to … massage a bit to get out of it. But it doesn’t work that well.”
The British driver’s comments highlight the delicate balance F1 drivers must strike between adapting to the car’s capabilities and maintaining their own driving style. Acknowledging the need for flexibility in his approach, Hamilton said: “As a driver you have to be able to adapt and admit that sometimes our approach to certain things isn’t perfect.
“We have to start looking at ways to retain the essence of what has made us as good as we have been and see how we can take things forward.”
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Downplaying the impact
Despite the frustrations of qualifying, Hamilton remains optimistic about the overall situation. He downplayed the severity of the problem, suggesting it’s a natural part of the sport’s competitive environment.
“At the end of the day, as a driver, you can’t do anything,” he said.
“In certain situations, some drivers do things better than others, and it takes some a little bit of time to adapt, others not. But I wouldn’t say it’s catastrophic.”
This pragmatic view reflects Hamilton’s experience and resilience in F1, where adaptability and problem-solving are crucial to success.
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The end of an era: Hamilton’s impending departure from Mercedes
As Hamilton grapples with his current challenges, the F1 world is also preparing for a significant change: his departure from Mercedes at the end of the season.
After more than a decade with the team, Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025, bringing to an end one of the most successful partnerships in the sport’s history. His departure from Mercedes will undoubtedly leave a void, both in terms of his driving talent and his contribution to the development of the team.
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A legacy at Mercedes
Hamilton’s influence at Mercedes goes far beyond his seven world championships. He has played a pivotal role in the team’s dominance over the past decade, bringing not only his incredible speed but also his deep technical understanding.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ head of track engineering, has expressed the team’s appreciation for Hamilton’s contributions, noting, “I’m going to miss him as a person because he’s a pleasure to work with. His race pace is extremely good, but what he brought to the team was incredible speed and a good sense of what the car needs.
“And he’s very good at pointing out the weaknesses of the car. He’s an excellent technician who guides the engineers.”
Ferrari ‘hot-shot’ jubilant at Hamilton’s arrival
As Hamilton prepares for his final races with Mercedes, the anticipation surrounding his move to Ferrari is growing. The decision to join Ferrari next season is seen as a pivotal moment in Hamilton’s career, especially as he approaches his 40th birthday.
For many in the sport, the move represents not only a new challenge for Hamilton, but also the fulfilment of a lifelong dream to drive for the legendary Italian team.
One of the most enthusiastic voices welcoming Hamilton’s arrival is Oliver Bearman, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Bearman, who will also be driving for Haas in 2025, sees Hamilton’s move as a major boost for Ferrari.
At just 19 years of age, Bearman has already achieved remarkable things in his young career and sees Hamilton as a valuable mentor.
Bearman’s excitement for the future
Bearman’s excitement is palpable. Reflecting on Hamilton’s illustrious career, he said: “I think he’ll bring a lot of experience to the team. He’s won seven world championships, that’s a fact. He’ll bring a good mentality to the team, a winning mentality, but obviously his talent is undeniable.
“It’s great that he can share his experience with me. I hope I’ll learn a lot from him and I hope Ferrari will too, because I think he’ll be a valuable asset to the team,” Bearman told Motorsport.com
Bearman’s comments underline the significance of Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari, not only for the team’s immediate prospects, but also for the development of its young drivers. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2021, Bearman has already made history by becoming the youngest driver to race for Ferrari, making his debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, where he finished an impressive seventh.
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Bright future with Ferrari
As Hamilton prepares to don the famous Ferrari red, his legacy continues to grow, not only through his own achievements, but also through the influence he is likely to have on the next generation of drivers. Bearman, who is set to become a major figure in F1, represents the future of Ferrari and with Hamilton’s mentorship, the young Briton could well follow in his illustrious compatriot’s footsteps.
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Uncertain future without Hamilton
As Mercedes prepare for life without Hamilton, there are questions about how the team will adapt technically. Andrew Shovlin admitted that the transition will be challenging given Hamilton’s unique contributions to the development of the car.
“It’s difficult to know now from an engineering point of view. Apart from his innate sense of what the cars do, what the tyres do – and that’s very valuable when you bring that into the development process – it’s also several years of very close collaboration that will go with Lewis,” Shovlin added.
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Looking ahead
While Hamilton’s future with Ferrari promises to be an exciting new chapter in his illustrious career, his departure from Mercedes will be deeply felt by those who have worked closely with him. As the sport looks ahead to the resumption of the season in the Netherlands on 25 August, all eyes will be on Hamilton to see how he navigates the remainder of the year, both in overcoming his qualifying struggles and making the most of his final races with Mercedes.
Hamilton’s legacy is already cemented as one of the greatest in F1 history, but the coming months will be crucial in shaping the final narrative of his time with Mercedes and setting the stage for his next challenge with Ferrari.
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The GOAT F1 driver was Fangio, and in my opinion, will always be Fangio. Why? He won 5 World Championships with 5 different teams and cars. Sir Lewis is good, no question about that! But the 7 WC came with only 2 teams, 2 cars. (most of the achievements with Mercedes.) I am happy to see him go to Ferrari and wish him the very best and hope he can do a Schumi with the team. Max has only been with one team since he was 17. To really prove he is a contender for any award he must change teams and change cars. To make for a really good F1 campaign I suggest that the drivers names come out of a hat at every race weekend and they choose which team they race with that weekend. The mix would be fascinating to watch. That way you would soon see who is most capable of adapting to his vehicle and the characters in each team, the trackside engineer, the team principal, and all the other variables. It is all a bit too cosy and too protective for the individuals as it is now. BTW, to all you vegan/veggies out there, horses and camels have been transport for us humans for CENTURIES. Get over yourselves. If vegans, were to rule the world we would all be dead in a fortnight. Glad Sir Lewis is experiencing a different culture in Morocco and enjoying his holidays. I wonder if Morocco will ever host an F1 race ever again?
Nice suggestion but a driver lottery every race goes a bit far.
Maybe better to try the system they use in the USA. At the end or start of every seasbn the lowest ranked team gets the first choice for a driver, then the second lowest team picks one, etc etc. So the best drivers gets in the ‘worst’ team and visa versa.