Lewis Hamilton will silence the doubters - and take Mercedes back to the very top of Formula 1.
The former world champion has drawn a rare blank in his first two races as the Silver Arrows were blown away following close-season changes to the regulations.
Hamilton is already playing catch-up behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but driver-turned-pundit David Coulthard believes the 37-year-old will prove his commitment and hunger by closing the gap - and then mount a sustained challenge for a record eighth world title. He said: “What’s happened with Lewis and Mercedes might be slightly de-motivating.
“I expect him to do what he has done for many years - get the feedback on his car and be the voice of it. The workload is the same whether you are winning or losing. What is different is the frustration because you don’t have a winning car. But I was massively impressed that he committed himself into signing a two-year contract - despite the uncertainty surrounding the new regulations. That told me he had a hunger and a focus. It only takes a bad run and a bit of frustration for a driver’s motivation to tail off. Now, he had a similar situation at McLaren when he was younger. But that was then.
“This is now when he’s older, more experienced and has seven world championships under his belt. I don’t think older sportsmen and women lose their talent. What I think they lose is the need. There is a certain point in your life where you need it. Lewis has had a brilliant period of success. The question is for him: ‘Am I prepared to go through the motions this season, or am I actually going to consider my future?’ This will show to any of the doubters his absolute underlying commitment.”
After a spell of unrelenting dominance, Mercedes have been pegged back with Red Bull maintaining their competitiveness and Ferrari exciting their legion of supporters by racing from the blocks. Coulthard believes that the Brackley-based team will regain its mojo - but that one key question remains. He said: “I think there is cause for concern with Mercedes. They have pedigree and a track record for overcoming issues and producing fast cars. The concern is: How long will it take?
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Hamilton regain his F1 crown this season? Let us know in the comments section
“Will it be the middle of the year? It’s unlikely they will have had everything ironed out by the time the show reaches Melbourne. That’s mainly because there’s little respite from the hectic calendar. But I think it will come and the reason why is because of the analysis and data. There is so much more available than from when I was driving. You can see the profiles of the winning cars. You have a very clear target and an idea of what’s possible.
“Back in the 90s, you had sector times and those, for example, told us where we were missing out. Then we had to identify exactly where that was. These days, the teams can pinpoint where they are missing out. And teams such as Mercedes do not miss many tricks - as their track record proves.”
The exciting finale to the championships and the new regulations have sparked a changing of the guard. Coulthard says the main impression he has drawn from the first two races, however, is the re-emergence of one talent in particular. He added: “I shouldn’t say this - I guess it’s my bad - but what we’ve seen so far is a brilliant reminder of just how good Charles Leclerc is.
“We haven’t seen it over the past couple of years but he’s gone up against one of the best in Max Verstappen and he’s handled it brilliantly. I knew he was quick. I just forgot how good a racer he is. I’m not running the Charles Leclerc fan club. It’s been a reminder of why Ferrari signed him to a multi-year contract. They recognised that potential. And Charles is reminding us all of that.”
