Lewis Hamilton was asked to compare the adjustment periods at Mercedes and Ferrari ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. The Englishman started far more smoothly with the Silver Arrows.
Hamilton was a child of McLaren, having come through Ron Dennis’ academy to make his F1 debut in 2007. He spent six seasons with the team, winning the 2008 world title.
After taking the bombshell decision to join Mercedes for 2013, he only had to wait until his second race for his first podium. Another followed in China.
| ROUND | MERCEDES | FERRARI |
| One | P5 | P10 |
| Two | P3 | DSQ |
| Three | P3 | P7 |
| Four | P5 | P5 |
| Five | P12 | P7 |
12 years on, on the back of the longest driver/team partnership in F1 history, Hamilton is struggling at Ferrari. A Sprint win in China aside, he’s only once finished higher than seventh.
In Thursday’s Miami Grand Prix press conference, Hamilton said the first six months at Mercedes were ‘tough’. But when asked whether the timeline to acclimatise at Ferrari would be similar, he replied, ‘I really don’t know’.
Former Mercedes confidante believes Lewis Hamilton could soon ‘soar’ at Ferrari
Jonathan McEvoy, the F1 correspondent for The Daily Mail, has spoken to an individual who observed Hamilton closely during his Mercedes days. He won the championship in year two, kicking off a historic run of six in seven seasons.
The source in question believes things may still ‘click’ for Hamilton at Maranello. They can envisage him ‘soaring’ again.
They don’t think it will take much for the 40-year-old’s confidence to be restored. He currently sounds as pessimistic as ever, having declared after the Saudi Arabian GP that the rest of the season would be painful.
Meanwhile, George Russell has been proven right after suggesting Mercedes would benefit from their winter refresh. Toto Wolff’s squad are currently sitting second in the constructors’ after making their best start of the ground-effect era.
Fred Vasseur may have to speak to Lewis Hamilton over Miami Grand Prix interview
Ted Kravitz says Ferrari have urged Hamilton not to give up. Team principal Fred Vasseur was defiant in his media appearances post-Jeddah.
It was only three weeks ago that the F1 legend delivered a strong performance at the Bahrain GP, rallying from ninth on the grid to fifth. That seemed to indicate he was on the right path.
But Martin Brundle suggested Hamilton was going in the wrong direction with the car after his miserable Saudi weekend. There have been numerous emotional swings already after just five races.
The volatile narrative was perhaps to be expected given the significance of this driver transfer. But Hamilton’s sullen interviews are sending the wrong message, with Jennie Gow noting that he hardly seemed engaged in the Miami presser. Perhaps Vasseur should speak to him about protecting team morale.
