The last few months have been a tricky period for Mercedes, who appeared to have lost any pace that they had in the summer.
At one stage, they won three out of four races during the European leg of the season, and their W15 car appeared to have taken a step forward.
But regression has been the name of the game since then, with Lewis Hamilton in particular struggling to deliver anything of note.
The tide changed at a chilly Las Vegas Grand Prix though, as they claimed a one-two finish and reminded everyone of just how dominant they can still be.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move similar to Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren tenure
Hamilton could happily retire from the sport now, knowing that numerically, he is the best driver of all time.
He has the most wins, podiums, and matched Michael Schumacher for championship wins, what more is there to prove?
His Ferrari move may be more about justification and doing his younger self proud – one that believes he deserved an eighth title in 2021, and one that wanted to win in red.
READ MORE: Nigel Mansell says people are making ‘huge mistake’ when talking about Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move
Speaking on the Drive to Wynn podcast, Justin Bell mentioned how the situation reminds him of Mika Hakkinen’s tenure with McLaren.
“Any of Lewis’ detractors watching what he did at Silverstone, watching what he did here. I remember when they said about Mika didn’t they?
“They were like, ‘he’s not going to win anything ever again.’ Then he won another championship.”
Can Hamilton win a championship with Ferrari?
From day one, Hamilton will be fighting a bit of an uphill battle when he joins the Scuderia and embarks on what may be his last Formula 1 venture.
New teammate Charles Leclerc is bedded within the team, has six years of experience there and knows exactly how everything works.
That includes the car, the day-to-day running of the team and media duties, as well as the fans – who support them incredibly well.
READ MORE: Martin Brundle thinks Lewis Hamilton will be smiling after what Ferrari did at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The most important aspect of racing for the prancing horse is winning, which is what there may be some pressure to do in his first season.
On current form, there’s a good chance that by this time next year, we’re talking about Hamilton as a multiple-race winner in red – if the majority of his plan goes as expected.
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