How Lewis Hamilton has become "calculated and clinical" with Mercedes

Mercedes

How Hamilton has become "calculated and clinical" with Mercedes

Hamilton has won six titles in eight seasons with Mercedes

Ewan Gale

Wednesday 14 April 2021 05:29

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin believes Lewis Hamilton has evolved into a "calculated and clinical" driver since the start of his Mercedes career in Formula 1.

Hamilton joined the Silver Arrows ahead of the 2013 season as a one-time world champion after six years with McLaren but has since gone on to dominate F1 with the German manufacturer, securing six of the previous eight titles.

Whilst Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles described Hamilton as a "mercenary" upon joining the team, Shovlin told the 'Beyond the Grid podcast' the British driver's approach to racing had changed over the course of his successes.

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"I think early on, this relentless desire to win every race would manifest itself in his driving and he would be pushing and pushing and couldn't stop," said Shovlin.

"I think now, he is just becoming a much more calculating driver. From the first lap of the first race, he is thinking about championships, he is thinking about looking after the car and the tyres a lot more.

"He hasn't got any better at losing races because that is just in his nature, but certainly his approach to the weekend and his thinking in the car is just becoming really calculated and clean and clinical."

After drawing level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles, Hamilton is aiming to take an unprecedented eighth in the final season of the current regulations.

Red Bull has emerged as a threat to Hamilton's aspirations with a strong opening race in Bahrain, although Max Verstappen ultimately lost out to the Mercedes despite starting from pole.

Shovlin has pointed to Hamilton's consistency as an underlying factor of his superiority.

"If someone asks you about Lewis making mistakes you're thinking back and you're going back seasons often to try and recall the instances where it happened," he added.

"His target is perfection and that's a difficult target to pick but that is what he is trying to achieve."

As to where he has become stronger, Shovlin said: "It's not one area. It's the fact that every time he doesn't win a race, he goes and works out why he didn't win it, and why the next time it happens he will win it.

"It's this kind of relentless understanding and improving process that he goes through that I think must be quite exhausting, because it never really stops.

"But he just keeps getting better and better, and he has obviously broken all records, but to see a driver who has achieved so much still working for every win likes it's their first - which is really what he does - you can see why he is where he is.

"It is down to hard work, dedication and this relentless urge to keep winning."