“He Has Lost Some Confidence in the Team”: Ralf Schumacher Blames Mercedes’ Complacency for Lewis Hamilton’s Departure

Lewis Hamilton has been synonymous with Mercedes for over a decade, driving with the Silver Arrows since the 2013 season. During his tenure, Hamilton secured six of his seven titles and helped the team win eight straight titles. However, recent years have brought challenges, starting with the 2022 porpoising issue with the W13 and continued struggles in 2023. Ultimately, the season concluded with Mercedes being unable to compete with Red Bull, resulting in a significant performance gap. Considering these circumstances, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has provided his perspective.

During his recent conversation with Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher said, “Lewis really wants to win and I think he has lost some confidence in the team and in the whole Mercedes structure in the last two years.”

In the last couple of years, Lewis Hamilton has failed to clinch a single Grand Prix victory. This is because the team failed to learn from its challenges in 2022. At the beginning of 2023, the team encountered difficulties due to the zero-side pod concept. Despite Hamilton voicing concerns, the team continued with the same approach.

However, it was only after his public criticism that the team changed their stance and decided to completely revamp the car. Indeed, for a driver like Hamilton, who has made winning a regular feat, the team’s difficulties would have certainly been disheartening.

Particularly, following the events at Abu Dhabi in 2021, it became crucial for Hamilton to return to his winning ways. However, with Mercedes unable to secure victories, Hamilton might have decided to jump ship.

What other reason might have prompted Lewis Hamilton’s lack of confidence in Mercedes?

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton lost out his eighth world championship due to Michael Masi’s incorrect application of safety car rules. At that time, the entire Mercedes fanbase took to social media, advocating for legal action against the decision. However, Toto Wolff, the team principal, and his colleagues refrained from filing an appeal.

This was because Mercedes’ team principal, Toto Wolff, and his team acknowledged the likelihood of an unsuccessful case. Rather than engaging in a harmful legal battle that could negatively impact Mercedes’ reputation, the decision was made to halt the proceedings. This choice by Mercedes might be a factor contributing to Hamilton’s diminished trust in the team.

Despite his 11-year tenure with Mercedes, Hamilton was presented with a mere 1+1 year contract extension, hinting at an inevitable parting of ways. Additionally, Mercedes rejected Hamilton’s request for a $250 million commitment spread over 10 years as a brand ambassador until 2035. Interestingly, amidst these developments, Ferrari president John Elkann identified a substantial opportunity to lure Hamilton.

Reports suggest that Elkann has proposed a significant investment and salary proposal of about $400 million for Hamilton, which incorporates his well-known Mission 44 initiative. With this move, the Prancing Horse has strategically positioned itself to potentially bring an end to their championship drought soon.