Toto Wolff believes that Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari, remains focused on Mercedes, despite Scuderia’s impressive performance this year. Mercedes has been struggling in the Formula 1 ground effect era since 2022. The seven-time world champion is likely to continue his streak of defeats in 2024 after a disappointing start to the season. However, Toto Wolff assured that Hamilton still prioritizes the team based in Brackley for this year.
Hamilton sealed his surprising move to Ferrari before the start of the 2024 season. Critics suggested that the reason behind this decision was the decline in Mercedes’ performance in recent years. However, team boss Toto Wolff stated that the drivers were exceptional in setting up the Mercedes challenger. Furthermore, Wolff mentioned that Hamilton was performing at his best, given the current difficulties.
Wolff acknowledged the significant difference between Mercedes’ current situation 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 emphasized that things were much better “on the other side” in the Ferrari camp. However, he reaffirmed that Hamilton’s primary focus for 2024 was still with the Silver Arrows.
George Russell, who has embraced the challenges faced by Mercedes this season, has been performing comparatively better than Lewis Hamilton. Russell currently has a ten-point advantage over Hamilton after the first three races. Toto Wolff described Russell as a determined individual who is committed to staying with the team, despite the drop in performance.
Furthermore, Wolff emphasized that Russell was well aware of his position within the team even before Hamilton’s departure. The team boss had previously stated that Russell would become the lead driver once Hamilton headed to Maranello. Therefore, Wolff agreed that Brackley needed to address the issues as quickly as possible to provide Russell and Hamilton with a competitive car.
Mercedes will need to work diligently on improving their car to regain their winning form. The team has struggled to compete for victories against Red Bull and Ferrari. However, Brackley remains hopeful that updates throughout the season will help change the game over the course of this year.
