P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has expressed he’s been taken aback with Lewis Hamilton’s “good mood” despite his struggles at the
Hamilton has had his worst start to an F1 season since 2009, currently ranking ninth in the Drivers’ Championship with only 19 points from the first five rounds. Mercedes is facing ongoing challenges, similar to those experienced in the past two seasons. Despite this, Hamilton has maintained a positive attitude, even as he prepares to depart Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. The impressive performance of Ferrari this season, including five podium finishes and a 1-2 victory in Australia, may be contributing to Hamilton’s upbeat demeanor. While Hamilton faced setbacks during the Chinese Grand Prix due to an extreme set-up that led to severe understeer, both he and Wolff emphasized that the driver’s role in car development is often overestimated compared to the contributions of engineers. Wolff highlighted that losing an engineer to another team can have a more significant impact than a driver changing teams, emphasizing the complexities of Formula 1 dynamics.
