Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is confident Lewis Hamilton still possesses his “magic,” despite a challenging beginning ahead of his move to Ferrari. After six rounds of the current season, Hamilton has generally been behind Charles Leclerc, but he showed improved competitiveness in Miami, finishing third in the Sprint and eighth in the main race, close behind his Ferrari teammate.
However, following several races where Hamilton struggled and couldn`t outperform Leclerc (who is currently at Ferrari), the seven-time champion even described the upcoming 2025 season (his first year at Ferrari) as potentially “painful.”
“I think we saw that magic in the Sprint Race in Shanghai. He was completely dominating that race,” said Wolff, who was Hamilton`s boss at Mercedes for 12 seasons. “It`s not like you have the magic in one race and suddenly lose it in the next. I very much believe it`s still there.”
“If he can align all the factors contributing to his performance, feels he is in the right place, and the car suits him, he will be stellar. I have no doubt.”
Despite his struggles in the current season, Hamilton is only 12 points behind Leclerc heading into the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. Hamilton`s pace disadvantage compared to Leclerc isn`t limited to one specific area, and Wolff believes his former driver will regain his top form.
“I`m also not surprised he`s facing these challenges. He was with us for 12 years, accustomed to a certain way of working. Now he`s set to join Ferrari, where his teammate (Leclerc) has been for a long time,” Wolff continued. “And his teammate is clearly one of the very good ones. So, from an external perspective and speaking to him, this is a path any new driver in a top team needs to navigate.”
Wolff still `great friends` with Hamilton
Earlier this year, Wolff mentioned it felt like he had three drivers when watching Hamilton`s performance at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, alongside his two Mercedes drivers. The Austrian confirmed he still talks to Hamilton away from the track.
“Lewis and I are still great friends. I spent a lot of time with him, traveling, and I still see him,” he said. “Last year, it reached a point where, you know, it`s like spending 12 consecutive years on holiday with your best friend. At a certain stage, you think, `Well, maybe let`s do something different this time.`”
“And for Lewis, he needed a refresh, a reinvention. Ferrari is iconic, no doubt about that. He certainly also received terms that were appealing to him.”
Russell: Not nice to see Hamilton struggles
Hamilton`s lack of consistent strong results continues from his final year at Mercedes, where he finished behind teammate George Russell in the championship and was outqualified 19-5. Russell believes people have been “underestimating how difficult Formula 1 is” and the challenges of adapting to a new team.
“He`s a champion, he`s a winner, and he`s in a position where he can`t achieve that,” Russell commented. “And that`s not easy to accept. If he were beaming with a big smile, you`d question why he`s smiling like that.”
“I have a lot of respect for him and like him personally. It`s not pleasant to see someone who isn`t enjoying it. But why should he be enjoying it? For him, it`s not about the money; it`s about the results. And things aren`t clicking for him right now, but I`m sure they will at some point.”
