The Mercedes upswing has helped Lewis Hamilton get back on the Formula 1 podium after a long absence. Is that enough to call into question his move to Ferrari? Things are going wrong at the Scuderia.
After the end of his Formula 1 drought, Lewis Hamilton took a break. The record world champion, wearing black sunglasses and holding a pink mobile phone, stretched out on the white couch on which the drivers answer questions after a Grand Prix – or, as in Hamilton’s case, lie down. 238 days after his last podium finish in Mexico last autumn, the Englishman returned to the podium in third place at the Spanish Grand Prix.
It was an important energy boost on Hamilton’s Mercedes farewell tour before he takes Carlos Sainz’s place at Ferrari next year and is expected to make the Italians world champions again. “What a relief for the Brit,” wrote the “Blick” newspaper in Switzerland. “I feel great, I just feel fantastic,” admitted the 39-year-old after his 198th podium finish. No other driver has more. Hamilton has thus always reached the podium at least once in his 18 seasons. That is also a record.
Hamilton needs this mood boost
But is Hamilton capable of winning again? “I think that’s our maximum at the moment,” he said, dampening the hopes of his fans. “We’re always fine-tuning all year long. But we need to get a few extra things done to be able to keep up with these guys.” These guys were Red Bull winner Max Verstappen and second-place Lando Norris in the McLaren.
Despite the increasingly clear upturn at Mercedes, Hamilton’s problem is qualifying. He just can’t manage that one fast lap for a good starting position in the race. His best qualifying result in 2024? Third place in Spain. “It’s good to finally have a clean weekend,” said Hamilton. “Hopefully that puts us in a good position for the next races.”
Does Hamilton regret his move?
Part of the fast-moving nature of the truly fast-moving Formula 1 business is that the seven-time world champion was asked after his successful weekend in Barcelona whether he was already starting to think about his move to Ferrari.
“I’ve been with Mercedes since I was 13 and I will always be a fan and supporter of Mercedes. And my job this year is to work as hard as I can with the crew I have and the people at the factory to try and develop the car in the right direction,” explained Hamilton.
“Doesn’t make me question my decision”
But from 2025 onwards, his job will be Ferrari. “I think they’ve had a few difficult races, but we must not forget that they won a race in Monaco. I can’t tell you what’s wrong with their car and why they’re in this position today,” Hamilton continued. “But they’re definitely making progress. And that doesn’t make me question my decision at all.”
After first place in Monaco for Charles Leclerc and third place for teammate Carlos Sainz, Ferrari embarrassed itself with a double retirement in Canada. In Spain, Leclerc finished fifth, just ahead of Sainz. This also did not meet the expectations of the proud Scuderia. In addition, there were several arguments.
Trouble 1: Sainz versus Leclerc
A heated argument broke out between Leclerc and Sainz. “La Gazzetta dello Sport” described this as a “controversy within Ferrari”. The trigger for the row was a duel at the end of the second lap, when the two drivers finally came into contact on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“It’s a shame because the team had told us before the race that we should save the tyres at this point in the race. That’s exactly what I did in the last corner, which is a really good corner for that,” explained Leclerc like a model student. In the action in question, he also damaged the front wing of his car.
“He complains too often after a race”
“It’s a bit unnecessary, but I also understand that it’s his home race and an important moment in his career, so he probably wanted to do something spectacular. But I was probably not the right person to do that,” Leclerc remarked pointedly.
Sainz reacted angrily. “I think he complains too often after a race about something,” he said to Leclerc. “I passed Charles because I didn’t know if he made a mistake or if he just wanted to control his race a bit too much.”
Trouble 2: Sainz against Hamilton
But one argument wasn’t enough for Sainz. In the pit lane, he almost collided with Mercedes driver George Russell after a stop. He and Hamilton clashed a short time later on the track. In the first third of the race, Sainz felt he had been pushed off the track by him during a duel and didn’t understand why the Briton wasn’t penalized. “If you follow the rules exactly, I would say: That’s not allowed. But if you ask me as a racing driver, I would say: It was a tough move,” explained Sainz.
Hamilton assessed the incident with the Spaniard with the composure of a 103-time race winner. “I think all the overtaking maneuvers were very close. That’s how it should be, right?” he said. When Hamilton starts at Ferrari, Sainz will long be history for him.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
