P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult final season at Mercedes ahead of his switch to Ferrari.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied that Lewis Hamilton’s underperformance in the 2024 season was due to his imminent departure from the team. Hamilton announced his move to Ferrari before the season began, and despite securing two victories, he struggled throughout the year, often being outperformed by his teammate George Russell. Wolff mentioned to Auto Motor und Sport that the current cars do not align with Hamilton’s aggressive driving style, particularly in qualifying. He expressed confidence in Hamilton’s professionalism, stating that his focus remained on the current season and not on his future team. Furthermore, Wolff highlighted the cognitive sharpness required in Formula 1, but believes that elite athletes like Hamilton can maintain their high performance levels for an extended period, citing Fernando Alonso as a prime example.
