Former F1 driver claims Hamilton can't 'adapt' like his long-time rival

hamilton, japan, 2024, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

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Former F1 driver claims Hamilton can't 'adapt' like his long-time rival

Marc Surer suggests Lewis Hamilton's lack of experience with underperforming cars might be hindering his performance

Originally written by Yara Elshebiny. This version is a translation.

Sunday 7 April 2024 18:00

Former F1 driver suggests Lewis Hamilton's lack of experience with underperforming cars might be hindering his performance.

Lewis Hamilton's time at Mercedes hasn't quite gone according to plan this season. After a dominant era with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton has found himself outpaced by his teammate, George Russell, in the first three races.

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The struggles haven't stopped there, though. Mercedes, once a force to be reckoned with, has fallen on hard times. They failed to finish the race in Australia after a double DNF, marking their first such finish since 2021.

With a move to Ferrari on the horizon for 2025, questions are swirling about Hamilton's ability to adapt and recapture his championship form.

Marc Surer claims Hamilton is 'spoilt'

Speaking on the Formula1.de YouTube channel, Surer believes Hamilton's time spent in dominant machinery has hindered his ability to adapt to a struggling car.

"If the car is not good, then Russell drives better, because he has had to struggle for years with this Williams with a car that is relatively poorly positioned," he said.

"Lewis has only ever driven the best cars. That means that if the car doesn’t do what Lewis wants, then he has a problem. And that’s exactly how it is again at the moment."

Surer even went further, suggesting the Brit struggles to adapt to a car that doesn't perfectly suit him, unlike some other greats of the sport.

"And Russell can live with compromises, just like [Fernando] Alonso," he continued. "These are people who can simply adapt to the car.

"Lewis can’t do that. But remember: at the end of last year, when the car got better, the old Lewis was suddenly back again."

The former driver also claims that Hamilton's lack of experience with underperforming cars is a significant weakness, calling him a 'spoilt.'

"That is precisely his weakness, that he is perhaps simply spoilt," he stated.

"He's always been in the best team in Formula 3 and Formula 2, which means it's completely normal for him that the car behaves exactly the way he wants it to."

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes George Russell