Mercedes does not intend to favour Hamilton for his record number of seasons with a win

For the first time since his arrival in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton could finish this season without having obtained a single victory. It had been 15 years since the British driver won at least one race every year. He is the only driver to have achieved this feat, while sharing with Michael Schumacher the record for the number of consecutive seasons marked by at least one victory (15). He therefore has a unique and last chance to achieve success this season: during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

According to Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ team principal, Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t attach any importance to this record: “I think Lewis doesn’t need any particular priority, and that’s not what he would want,” he stated. “I think he has already mentioned that this record of winning a race every season is less of a priority for him. It’s more about us bringing the car back to where it can be, and we are racing for more victories next year, and if possible, a championship.” If Russell is faster than his teammate at Yas Marina, he won’t receive any specific instructions.

On the other hand, the seven-time world champion is determined to make the Mercedes race car as competitive as possible and learn as much as possible in order to improve it for 2023: « I’m not focused on the record, but of course, I’m trying to get that win this year. But the record is not important to me, simply because I don’t really care about records in general,” says Lewis Hamilton.

The efforts of Mercedes

During last Sunday’s Interlagos Grand Prix, Mercedes allowed its two drivers to fight for victory. Although Lewis Hamilton wasn’t fast enough to catch up to winner George Russell, he sees this race as a very, very good sign for Mercedes in the upcoming year. This Mercedes one-two finish solidifies the team’s efforts to overcome the major issues with the car. It had appeared to be behind Ferrari and Red Bull since the beginning of the season.

Lewis Hamilton did not fail to mention the difficulty of this season: “It was tough because we kept trying and trying, and every time something new came up, we always had the same problems,” he said. However, during the Brazilian Grand Prix, Mercedes achieved its first victory of the 2022 season, thanks to George Russell.