- Hamilton cites worst career start, emotionally taxing season risk
- Mercedes’ Wolff questions his role amid team’s struggles
- Engine failure ends Hamilton’s race; Mercedes lags behind rivals
After Mercedes endured a disastrous weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton characterised the worst start to a Formula One season in his career as emotionally taxing and cautioned that it posed a risk of him merely going through the motions.
Toto Wolff, team principal at Mercedes and seven-time champion, offered a similarly candid evaluation, characterising the situation as excruciatingly agonising. He conceded that it was reasonable to query whether he should relinquish his position and stated that he was neither optimistic nor positive regarding the state of his team.
Hamilton was forced to retire from the Melbourne race on lap 17 due to an engine malfunction; Carlos Sainz of Ferrari emerged victorious.
The British driver has been sluggish throughout the entire weekend, finishing eleventh in qualification and making little progress in the race before his engine failed. With seventh-place finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and eight points in total from three races this season, his current return is even more disappointing than his opening nadir in 2009, which included a disqualification, sixth place, and seventh place.
Mercedes has fallen short of delivering a front-competing vehicle for the third consecutive year. In Australia, the company has been surpassed not only by world champions Red Bull but also by Ferrari and, given its current form, McLaren.
After abandoning his damaged vehicle at the trackside in Albert Park, Hamilton acknowledged that an additional season of arduous competition with no positive results was hardly motivating.
“Without a doubt, this begins the season on the worst note of my career, and it’s even worse than 2009,” he declared. “It is difficult on the team’s morale for every member. When everyone has so much work to do during the winter, you arrive at practice feeling enthusiastic, motivated, and driven, with the mindset that you will be striving for victories.
“However, that is not the case, and you respond, ‘Okay, second or third, perhaps.'” Contrary to this, the situation unfolds slightly further downwards, and you merely perform the necessary procedures. “It presents a demanding task.”
George Russell, a teammate who had finished no higher than seventh but was involved in a collision on the final lap, brought an extremely disappointing weekend to a close for Mercedes.
Having implemented an entirely new design philosophy for their automobile at the start of the year, they were hopeful that the upcoming season would yield higher profits. Conversely, the issues appear all too familiar; the vehicle fails to perform as anticipated in the wind tunnel and fails to provide a consistent, dependable foundation from one race to the next.
Wolff, who commenced his tenure with Mercedes in 2013 (the same year as Hamilton) and has stood by his side as the British driver wins six championships, acknowledged that 2024 had gotten off to a sour start.
“Upon observing McLaren and Ferrari’s progress, I must admit that I am inclined to give myself a peck on the nose,” he explained. “We must dig extremely deep because the situation is excruciatingly painful.”
“I would be committing a lie if I claimed to be optimistic regarding the situation. “You must conquer your negative thoughts and resolve to make a positive change, but today feels, positively, negatively bleak.”
“Take a step towards financial freedom – claim your free Webull shares now!”
The one-third shareholder in Mercedes and a 52-year-old individual acknowledged that it was reasonable to question whether he was the most qualified candidate to lead the team, but insisted he would not be resigning.
“I evaluate my actions daily in the mirror, and while it is a valid concern, I do not believe that leaving is the course of action I should take at this time,” he explained.
“To answer the manager’s question, I am unable to transfer to Liverpool, Chelsea, or Ferrari; as a co-owner, I do not have that option, which is unfortunate.” I do not identify as an employee or contractor who has declared, “I have had enough of this.” “My hamster wheel continues to turn, and I am unable to escape.”
