Hamilton dry of victories
Until recently it seemed unthinkable to point to a crisis of results Lewis Hamiltonseven times world champion and above all winner of six world titles from 2014 to 2020, with the sole exception of 2016. A parenthesis that saw total domination by the British driver and the Mercedes, which is however experiencing a moment of unprecedented difficulty. Over the course of the 2022 season, the Anglo-German team achieved only one success in the Brazilian GP, however climbing the top step of the podium with George Russell.
An uncertain future
As a result, Hamilton finished the 2022 without ever winning a race, which had never happened to him in his entire F1 career. The number 44 fails to hear the notes of the national anthem of him even since December 2021when he scored his 103rd and so far last hit in the Saudi Arabian GP. Furthermore, the Mercedes W14 does not yet seem to have the necessary pace to compete for victory, and the hypothesis of seeing Hamilton triumphant in this 2023 seems actually complex. As if that weren’t enough, the British is also in contract expiration with his team, and the lack of his signature on the renewal, combined with the rumors of his possible passage to Ferrari, makes his future even more difficult to interpret.
Revival plans
However, Mercedes has called back James Allison in the role of Technical Director in place of Mike Elliot, and the operation of the Brackley house could kick off a project that would allow the team to be able to return to the top of F1. If so, for the Team Principal Toto Wolff the conditions would also arise to push Hamilton to conquer the most coveted record: that of theeighth world title.
Wolff’s conviction
As things stand, the ex-McLaren driver shares the record for most championship wins with Michael Schumacher, but the resurgence of Mercedes, coupled with Hamilton’s hunger for victories, would ensure the latter can climb to the top alone in this special classification: “I think he feels very strong and we also think that we won’t be racing for the drivers’ championship this year. This is what it looks like at the moment – Wolff explained to the media – we just need to give him a car that can do that, and hopefully we can build a winning package this season and then have something more that can take him to his eighth title. I have no doubt that he is motivated to achieve this goal, this is what he loves to do, this is his ability. We personally have a great relationship with him and within the team he has been one of the strongest pillars of the last ten years, so we are in a really good position.”
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