Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn says Lewis Hamilton sacrificed himself for the team’s future this year, just as Michael Schumacher did in 2010, laying the foundation for the German team.
Mercedes and Hamilton entered the new era of Formula 1 with the intention of continuing the dominance they had in the period from 2014 to 2021 when they won 15 championships.
However, the W13 car did not show the performance with which Mercedes could compete with Red Bull and Ferrari.
The bouncing problem, which hit the Silver Arrows the hardest, prevented their drivers from fighting for the positions they were used to – Hamilton – in the previous eight seasons.
Hamilton, who has 103 victories next to his name, does not know what victory means in the 16 races so far. The Briton has six podiums so far, but he has not yet felt the sweetness of the top step that marks the winner.
Ross Brawn, the former head of Mercedes, gave his opinion on Lewis Hamilton’s current performance in an interview with F1 Insider.
“Lewis is at the end of his career. But that doesn’t mean it’s over yet. This year, he has had a car that he cannot win with for an extremely long time. So he puts a lot of energy into changing that,” says Brawn.
“For him, this time is a kind of character test. It’s quite possible that his team-mate George Russell is hungrier in the races because of it.”
Ross then touched on the situation in 2010 when Michael Schumacher came back in to help Mercedes build their car. He is of the opinion that such a thing can be slightly compared to Hamilton’s current situation.
“You can compare Lewis’s situation a bit with Michael’s return to Mercedes. As a driver, you always have to decide if you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem,” he added.
“Michael then redefined his role, so he was part of the solution and helped build a team that would win eight consecutive constructors’ titles,” he noted.
“He sacrificed himself for the future of the team, so to speak, and played a key role in laying the foundation for its success.”
On the other hand, the motorsport director of the premier class believes that Hamilton and Mercedes will come back and get out of their current bad state.
“Lewis will be back, I am convinced. Just like his team. I believe that the periods of weakness that you have to overcome make you even stronger. I know this from my own experience,” he assures.
“You have to remember that we narrowly lost three world titles before we succeeded at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher in 2000.”
“The previous three years were a difficult test. The team could fall apart from disappointment. But it was the opposite: we became even closer and became better. The team could fall apart from disappointment. But it was the opposite: we got even closer and got better.”
“We learned a lot and finally turned our weaknesses into strengths,” Brawn concluded.
