F1 world champion Damon Hill has questioned whether or not Lewis Hamilton might have “underestimated” Mercedes’ capacity to recuperate from its lean years and may be second-guessing his choice to maneuver to Ferrari.
When the seven-time world champion introduced his departure from Mercedes earlier this 12 months, it appeared like a calculated choice.
Ferrari, in any case, appeared because the staff best-placed to problem Purple Bull’s dominance, whereas Mercedes had floundered beneath F1’s ground-effect rules for a second consecutive season.
However as the game’s 2024 marketing campaign unfolds, the tides are turning, and questions are actually being raised about whether or not Hamilton may be harboring regrets about his alternative to go away the staff that introduced him a lot success.
Mercedes, rejuvenated by a wave of latest developments and strategic adjustments, has clawed its manner again to the entrance of the grid. The Silver Arrows have gained two of the final three races, with Hamilton himself standing atop the rostrum as soon as once more, a sight that had develop into all too uncommon since 2021.
In the meantime, Ferrari has regressed, weighed down by a automotive missing consistency and the outright velocity of its direct rivals.
Reflecting on the present state of affairs, Hill supplied a fairly sobering perspective on what Hamilton may be feeling as he prepares to go away Mercedes.
“He is had such an unimaginable time with Mercedes, and on the time he made the choice [to leave], I feel he’d fairly understandably thought that Mercedes had reached the buffers,” the 1996 F1 world champion informed Prime Gear.
“However perhaps he underestimated them, as a result of they’re making a comeback and so they might effectively be aggressive.”
With the present set of technical rules operating for yet another 12 months earlier than F1 undergoes a serious overhaul in 2026, subsequent 12 months’s championship is shaping as much as be one of the aggressive in latest reminiscence.
Seven totally different drivers have already claimed victory this 12 months, making it clear that subsequent season can be extensive open. And with Mercedes on the upswing, Hamilton may be questioning if he’s leaving simply because the staff is poised to return to the highest.
“It might be unhappy if he moved to Ferrari and Ferrari weren’t aggressive,” Hill added. “As a result of it might imply that he can be denied that likelihood to get the eighth title which many individuals consider he ought to’ve had.”
Certainly, the shadow of Abu Dhabi 2021 nonetheless looms giant over Hamilton’s profession. That controversial finale, the place a late security automotive and a contentious race restart allowed Max Verstappen to grab the title from the Briton’s grasp, continues to be a sore level for a lot of.
Hill, nevertheless, believes that whereas the end result was bitter, it’s a part of the game’s harsh actuality.
“I am of the view that sadly it’s important to take the outcomes as they stand,” Hill defined.
“In any sport, the umpire’s choice is remaining, even when the umpire was improper. In order that’s a type of anomalies and unlucky issues that occur in sport.”
©Mercedes
However even when Hamilton’s Ferrari journey doesn’t carry him one other championship, Hill stays optimistic about what the transfer might imply for the game.
Evaluating the 105-time Grand Prix winner’s swap to Nigel Mansell’s transfer to Ferrari in 1989, Hill believes that Hamilton’s presence within the iconic purple automotive can be a sight to behold.
“I’d like to see Lewis preventing for his eighth title, and it’ll be wonderful seeing him in a Ferrari. It may be very thrilling,” Hill enthused.
“I feel that it’s going to add so much to the game, and it is an unwritten story. We do not know the way it’ll end up, however it’ll be fascinating.”
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