Lewis Hamilton previously suggested that George Russell would have the advantage in Qualifying this season.
Intra-team battles have been fiercely competitive this season, as several teams have pairs of drivers pushing each other to the limit. However, dominance in the Silver War has been one-sided, with Hamilton beating Russell 7-1 in the qualifying battle so far and claiming that his younger teammate received preferential treatment. Observing this, Hamilton reflected on the situation within the team and offered his perspective on it.
At the beginning of the 2024 season, fans anticipated that Hamilton would completely outperform Russell throughout the season due to his strong momentum in 2023. However, to their disappointment, the young British driver emerged as the team leader within the Brackley-based squad. This performance difference led the team to provide Russell with the entire upgrade package in Monaco.
As a result, Hamilton criticized the team, stating that he felt betrayed and described the race as the worst of his career. He even admitted that he did not expect to outperform his teammate in qualifying this year. In response to these allegations, team boss Toto Wolff calmed the situation and acknowledged that Hamilton’s anger was justified. However, the team’s focus was on maximizing points scored during a weekend and they had to make a tough decision.
On the other hand, the German manufacturer faced its final battle for the championship in 2021. Since the introduction of ground effect regulations in 2022, the team has faced difficulties. To explain this performance drop, Wolff used the example of Ferrari to ease the pressure on his team.
Wolff, who is 52 years old, explained that despite the current difficulties, the team has a history of success. Despite not winning a championship in the last 16 years, they have remained competitive compared to their rivals. In contrast, Ferrari has failed to secure a championship for the same period of time. The Silver Arrows have been absent from the top spot for only a few years.
Although Wolff justifies the team’s poor performance in recent seasons, the German manufacturer still faces a significant challenge. Therefore, the engineers in Brackley will work tirelessly to address the issues with the W15 and make future modifications more competitive.
