Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain, driving for Mercedes AMG F1, participated in the drivers’ parade during the Formula 1 World Championship, Round 3, Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia on March 24, 2024, which was the race day.
Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, is confident that Lewis Hamilton is not showing any interest in Ferrari despite the contrasting fortunes of his current team and his future team. Mercedes has had a difficult start to the season, accumulating only 26 points after three races, which is their worst performance since 2011. Hamilton has been struggling with the inconsistent performance of his Mercedes W15 car, which led to his 11th place qualifying position and eventual retirement from the race due to an engine failure. On the other hand, Ferrari took advantage of Max Verstappen’s retirement to secure a 1-2 finish, with Carlos Sainz leading Charles Leclerc. Despite Hamilton’s upcoming move to Ferrari in 2025, Wolff denied any signs of disengagement from the British driver.
When asked about how the drivers are handling the team’s difficulties, Wolff praised their commitment. He acknowledged that Hamilton is frustrated by the team’s struggles but also recognizes the positive things happening at Ferrari. However, Hamilton’s main focus remains on Mercedes and finding solutions to their problems. As for George Russell, Wolff described him as a determined fighter who knows his place in the team. It is clear that both drivers are fully committed to resolving the issues they are facing.
Hamilton’s performance in the first three races of the season has been disappointing, earning him only eight points and placing him 10th in the Drivers’ Championship. He considers this to be his worst start to an F1 season so far. Despite this, Hamilton remains optimistic about the rest of the campaign and expresses gratitude for his time in Australia. He continues to enjoy working with his Mercedes engineers and is determined to fight for wins and finish races. Although it is frustrating to travel all the way to a race and not complete it, Hamilton believes that the team will bounce back and gradually improve their performance.