Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC
Mercedes suffered a horrific performance slump in 2022, and Toto Wolff has been one of the few optimistic people in the camp since. Even when the new W15 concept was tricky for the team to figure out, Wolff never lost hope. Now, the Austrian boss can finally bask in the glory of that persistence, where he even kept Lewis Hamilton on his toes. After the seven-time World Champion ended his winless streak in Silverstone last Sunday, Wolff revealed how Hamilton’s spirits were boosted amidst tough times.
Per F1 journalist Adam Cooper’s tweet on X, Wolff said, “He’s [Lewis Hamilton] been there for me, and most recently, I’ve tried to do my contribution to his doubting at times.”
Hamilton has shown a downbeat demeanor about his performances this season as well as in 2023. While the Briton often retains his positivity no matter how dire the situation is, the downfall of Mercedes’ form certainly got the better of his mental strength.
Hamilton likely switched to Ferrari for that reason, as he wanted to return to winning ways in the closing stages of his F1 career. He had to make this tough call, despite his long-time personal and professional relationship with Wolff.
Regardless, Wolff swallowed this tough pill and accepted Hamilton’s decision to move away. The Mercedes boss promised that he would ensure the Briton left Mercedes on a high and his promise was fulfilled already in Silverstone with 12 races still left in 2024.
Hamilton seems set to end Mercedes partnership on a winning note
The turnaround Mercedes has experienced with its 2024 car is certainly remarkable. With persistent upgrade packages since the Monaco GP, James Allison and his engineering team have ironed out several issues of the W15 to get the team into contention for podiums and race wins.
Allison even commented that the Silver Arrows aims to keep on this trajectory of upgrades in the second half of the season. Thus, if Mercedes keeps this form up, Hamilton can target winning more races before bidding adieu to the Brackley-based team.
While Austria was a shock win for George Russell, Hamilton feels he won the British GP on “pure pace“. Therefore, the 39-year-old feels more confident about Mercedes’ performance now than he has sounded in the past two seasons.
