Lewis Hamilton’s frustrations with Mercedes boiled over during the most recent Formula 1 season, having last won a race in 2021 and since agreeing to join Ferrari next year.
A frustrated Lewis Hamilton admits that he “can’t remember winning” after years of disappointment with Mercedes.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who’ll leave the Brackley-based team at the end of this season to join rivals Ferrari, hasn’t won a race since 2021 and prior to his controversial title loss to Max Verstappen. Hamilton, 39, believes that he and his team have made multiple “wrong decisions,” something which he wants to put right during the new campaign which starts next Sunday.
During the sixth season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Hamilton can be heard bemoaning their failings in recent years. “I can’t really remember winning, to be honest. It’s been a minute, so I don’t really remember what that feeling is,” the former McLaren driver admitted.
But it is what it is. You just have to take it on the chin and just acknowledge that we did not get it right, we took the wrong decisions and start really making big strides in the right direction before it’s too late.”
Hamilton appears to have already concluded that it is too late, expressing doubt in the Mercedes project and deciding to switch to Ferrari in 2025.
This decision comes even after he extended his contract with Mercedes in August of last year. In another episode of Drive to Survive, team principal Toto Wolff is shown trying to persuade Hamilton to remain with Mercedes for the entirety of his racing career and even beyond.
According to Wolff, Aston Martin’s progress during the winter demonstrates that focusing on the car’s concept, aerodynamics, and balance can lead to winning a championship.
Hamilton expressed his discontent with having to wait until 2026 for the new engine regulations. He made clear that he did not want to wait that long and emphasized that while others may be around for another 20 or 30 years, he would not be. Wolff inquired, “Who claims that?” Hamilton then ominously admitted, “These years are important to me. I am unsure.”
To alleviate Hamilton’s worries, Wolff reassured him by saying that he is not just a racing driver or a seven-time world champion, but also a leader who helps drive the team forward.
However, the conclusion of the 2024 season will signal the end of Hamilton’s 11-year tenure with Mercedes, which he hopes to end on a positive note.
The 39-year-old made these remarks during testing in Bahrain this week, stating that it would be a dream to finish on a high with the team. Hamilton expressed his desire to help Mercedes return to the top after everything they have been through together.
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