Lewis Hamilton’s actions both on and off the track throughout his career have helped him amass a huge fanbase. With that, of course, came a significant amount of responsibility, which Toto Wolff spoke about recently. Hamilton’s approach to racing has always ensured that his teams were never unjustly thrown under the bus—something for which he has Wolff’s gratitude.
Since 2013, the seven-time World Champion has been the face of Mercedes, guiding the team to eight Constructors’ title wins. Recently, however, Mercedes’ performances took a turn for the worse, which led to a lot of external criticism, especially from Hamilton fans who wanted him to win more.
That said, Hamilton’s transparency ensured that he always took the pressure off the team.
“He has some devoted fans that will always seek the fault of the team and he takes the pressure off the team,” Wolff explained on the High Performance podcast whilst discussing Hamilton’s self-criticism when he knows he’s the one who has been at fault.
Toto Wolff says that Lewis taking accountability “takes the pressure off the team.”
“he has some devoted fans that will always seek the fault of the team and he takes pressure off the team…”
yikes…
— deni (@fiagirly) November 11, 2024
Wolff labeled Hamilton’s approach as “authentic and credible”. He has often taken the mantle of shouldering responsibility upon himself, which not only drew out negative energy from the outside but also set an example for the entire organization.
For instance, at the 2024 Italian GP, Hamilton was in contention for pole throughout the majority of Qualifying. Unfortunately, a poor final lap in Q3 limited him to P6 — something Hamilton took the blame for, rather than accusing the team of fielding an uncompetitive car.
Hamilton has set standards for Mercedes’ forthcoming success
Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, joining Ferrari in what many consider a dream move. However, his long-standing presence at the Brackley-based team has laid the foundations for future success, which Mercedes hopes to build upon in 2025 and beyond.
Mercedes have signed rookie Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton’s replacement, and if he learns to take accountability as the Briton did, it is likely that he will gel well with the staff.
Plus, after playing the role of second driver at Mercedes for so long, it will be time for George Russell to lead the squad, following the groundwork laid by Hamilton in their path to resurgence.
Despite Hamilton not being at the Silver Arrows to witness this overhaul, the team is eager to learn from its past mistakes in a bid to retake the top spot in the sport. Being a works outfit, it was crucial for the team to have a leader like Hamilton, who not only set the benchmark in terms of lap time but also for mentality and values.
