Toto Wolff believed that Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Ferrari, remained focused on Mercedes despite the impressive performance of the Scuderia this year. Mercedes has struggled in the ground-effect era of Formula 1 since 2022. The seven-time world champion is likely to continue his winless streak in 2024 after a disappointing start to the season. However, Toto Wolff assured that Hamilton still prioritizes the Brackley-based team for this year.
Hamilton sealed his surprising move to Ferrari before the start of the 2024 season. Critics have suggested that the reason behind this decision was Mercedes’ declining performance in recent years. However, Team Principal Toto Wolff stated that the drivers were exceptional in the setup of the Mercedes’ challenger. Additionally, Wolff mentioned that Hamilton was performing at his best given the current struggles.
Wolff acknowledged the stark contrast between Mercedes’ current condition and Ferrari’s much more positive performance. He agreed that it was frustrating for Hamilton to witness his current team in such a state. Wolff pointed out that things were much better “over the fence” at the Ferrari camp. However, he reaffirmed that Hamilton’s main focus for 2024 remained with the Silver Arrows.
George Russell, who has embraced the challenges faced by Mercedes this season, has performed comparatively better than Lewis Hamilton. Russell currently holds a ten-point lead over Hamilton after the first three races. Toto Wolff described Russell as a determined individual who is committed to sticking with the team despite the performance slump.
Furthermore, Wolff emphasized that Russell was well aware of his position within the team even before Hamilton’s departure. The Team Principal had previously stated that Russell would become the lead driver once Hamilton moves to Maranello. Therefore, Wolff agreed that Brackley needed to address the issues as soon as possible in order to provide both Russell and Hamilton with a competitive car.
Mercedes will need to work diligently on improving its car in order to regain its winning form. The team has struggled to compete for race victories against Red Bull and Ferrari. However, Brackley remains hopeful that in-season upgrades will help turn the tide throughout the course of this year.