Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has voiced support for his former driver Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year. The seven-time world champion’s journey with the Maranello outfit hasn’t been a smooth one on many fronts thus far, leading many to question if Hamilton still has the racing prowess. However, Wolff emphasized, saying, “Don’t ever write Lewis Hamilton off.”
The 40-year-old driver’s move to Ferrari after 12 successful years with Mercedes meant he not only had to adapt to a new car but also to a new team, new location, and new language. While one would expect a world champion like Hamilton to get up to speed in no time, the complexities of the current ground effect cars also add to his challenge, especially considering his struggles at Mercedes since 2022, when the new era began.
Hamilton has reportedly had no role in the development of the current Ferrari SF-25, making the task of adapting to the car more challenging. He has yet to secure his first Grand Prix podium finish with the red team, though his sprint race win at Shanghai cannot be dismissed.
Wolff, who celebrated eight Constructors’ Championships with Hamilton and shares a friendly relationship with him, revealed the factors that are likely affecting the Ferrari driver. Speaking on the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast, Wolff explained how the start of the ground effect era in 2022 affected Hamilton and why he needs to be given more time to adapt to his new car and team. He said:
“You don’t unlearn driving that quickly. In 2021, he was great. Then the regulations changed, and it got a little more difficult, but he was still performing at a very high level.
“Just by changing teams, suddenly you don’t lose your skills.
“Everybody needs a period of adaptation – different car, different DNA in how the vehicle drives, a new engineering team that you need to start working together.
“Then you have to be involved in the continuous development of the car so it suits your driving style.”
Wolff highlighted the major cultural shift that had taken place for Hamilton and revealed a lesser-known pattern concerning him. He said:
“It’s an all-Italian team, and he’s a British guy parachuted in there. And that takes time.
“Also, we’ve seen a bit of a pattern that Lewis, at the beginning of the season, needs to find his mojo and the second half of the season has always been very strong.
“So don’t ever write Lewis Hamilton off.”
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