Lewis Hamilton arrives at his home race on the backfoot. The seven-time world champion trails teammate George Russell by 26 points in the standings after the latter’s victory in Austria last time out.
As the halfway point of the season nears, Hamilton only has one podium to his name. His current championship position – eighth – would be the lowest of his career if it holds.
Granted, that’s partly because Mercedes haven’t been able to match the frontrunners for much of the season. But the Silver Arrows have developed their way into contention, and Hamilton still can’t seem to maximise the potential of the car.
Russell is thrashing him 9-2 in qualifying – one of the largest margins on the grid. In the races, the former Williams driver is 8-3 up.
Hamilton is still waiting to end a victory drought that stretches back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP. It’s Russell who’s been responsible for both of Mercedes’ wins during their partnership.
It’s shaping up to be an underwhelming farewell as he heads to Ferrari for next year. And looking ahead, Charles Leclerc may be fancying his chances of beating a struggling Hamilton come 2025.
Mercedes have told Lewis Hamilton he’s pushing too hard
According to Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt, speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Mercedes believe they may have identified the root cause of Hamilton’s difficulties. He’s apparently demanding too much from his Pirelli tyres.
The 39-year-old has previously complained about his tyres being outside the working range. He told the team to investigate a potential issue with the blankets after the Canadian GP.
Drivers will prepare their tyres on an outlap in qualifying. This involves generating the appropriate amount of heat without taking any life out of the rubber.
On the lap itself, a degree of management is also required. If they push too hard too early, they can run out of grip by the time they reach the last few corners.
“They also told him that he drives a little too hard,” Schmidt said of Hamilton. “These tyres can’t handle it. You have to back off a little every now and then and then 99.9% drive so that the tyre is in the right place.
“This topic has nothing to do with the car. It happens to everyone whether they have a bad car or a good one.”
Christian Horner hints at reason Hamilton left Mercedes
You could argue that both Hamilton and Ferrari have grounds to second-guess their decision. The 103-time race-winner has seen his current team overtake his future team in the pecking order in recent races.
What’s more, the 2026 Mercedes power unit is widely expected to be the best in the field. Perhaps Hamilton should have kept his faith in Toto Wolff’s project.
On Ferrari’s side, they’ve seen their new signing produce his poorest campaign to date, while Carlos Sainz has impressed with one victory and five podiums. In all probability, though, Fred Vasseur won’t allow one poor stretch of races to sew any doubt.
What’s more, Christian Horner suspects that Mercedes’ long-term prospects aren’t as rosy as they seem. He pointed out that Hamilton had access to all the information about their 2026 car, and still chose to leave anyway, potentially pointing to cause for concern.
The post ‘Nothing to do with the car’: Mercedes have privately told Lewis Hamilton why he’s struggling - journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
