The 2022 season saw both drivers having their phases of good performances. George Russell had a promising start and scored consistent and crucial points for Mercedes. Giving them a fight in the season even though their car wasn’t up to the mark.
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton had a tougher start to the year, owing to proposing and experiments Mercedes was running on his car to fix the issues. But in the end, he picked up the pace and got nine podiums.
Seeing the initial hiccups of Mercedes, the season’s end was a sigh of relief for the Silver Arrows. But in 2023, Mercedes doesn’t want to see the same fate and want to be back in the title fight. And Wolff has a strategy.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have to shift
With the winter testing soon approaching, Mercedes’s boss gives a small peek inside their strategy for the season. According to him, Hamilton and Russell will have to make shifts in the cycle for optimum performances.
“In terms of optimum performance, we have the combination of the two best drivers, the strongest line-up,” said Wolff assessing the form of two drivers is likely to fluctuate in 2023. “And therefore, we are always going to see those cycles, in my opinion between the two.”
Hamilton and Russell shared a great camaraderie last season. Something rare for the seven-time world champion citing his time with other teammates. But at the same time, they aren’t currently vying for the drivers’ title. So the most tensions are yet to erupt.
But in 2023, it’s also unlikely that there will be conflicts between the two as Mercedes is likely to aim solely for the constructors’ championship. So, the other title could take a backseat for a while.
Extending the services
Wolff recently revealed that Hamilton’s contract would run out at the end of this year and is likely to be extended. He claims that it’s just a formality and the negotiations are underway.
A few weeks ago, Hamilton said it would be great to go as a champion, signalling to increase his championship to eight— the highest ever. Also, he said he wants to end his career as a Mercedes driver.
So maybe his motivation in F1 is to end his career as the eight-time F1 champion with the Silver Arrows. After that, he can take a rest from the sport. But F1 is as uncertain as it can be. He might never win a title from here, and he can’t go on forever. So what’s the time limit? He and Mercedes can only tell that.
Also read: Lewis Hamilton Once Scolded His Ex-Girlfriend for Using Wrong Toilet at His Home in France
