Mark Webber has leapt to the defence of Lewis Hamilton following his difficult start to the 2022 F1 season. The Briton finished 13th last time out in Imola as he struggled to extract the best from an average Mercedes car, in comparison to the lofty standards they set over the better part of a decade.
He lacked pace and porpoising is still a significant issue for the Silver Arrows. The 37-year-old has also finished behind new teammate George Russell in three of the four races contested so far.
The jury is out on whether Hamilton will be in contention this season due to his indifferent start; questions regarding his future at Mercedes and the sport as a whole have surfaced once again. But as the reigning constructors' champions look to improve this weekend at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, former F1 star Mark Webber said he has faith in the seven-time champion’s ability to turn his campaign around.
"I think people are being pretty harsh, pretty fast on Lewis,” the former Red Bull driver told the Daily Mail. "In Bahrain he drove brilliantly to third place. In Saudi there was a safety car involved there with a pit stop. Same in Melbourne.
"So I think there have been quite a few points he’s missed through no fault of his own. It’s only Imola where he had a tricky qualifying and race. Of course, everyone’s forgetting how the other points were lost through no fault of his own."
Mercedes currently sit third in this season’s constructors' standings, trailing Red Bull and Ferrari. Due to their unparalleled success in the sport since 2014, Webber is not counting out Toto Wolff’s men. "Never, ever underestimate an organisation like those guys,” he added.
"It's going to be fascinating to see how the next few weeks go. Lewis is at his most dangerous with his back against the wall. He's never short of motivation - that's why he's probably the greatest of all time."
In the lead-up to the first-ever race in Miami, Hamilton teamed up with NFL star Tom Brady at a fundraising event for the city's under-privileged children at Miami Beach Golf Club. The race will take place around Miami's Hard Rock Stadium and a large number of A-list stars including LeBron James, David Beckham, Ryan Reynolds and Renee Zellweger are set to attend.
Hamilton said: "I am so happy to be in Miami. This is the sport's first time here and the anticipation of this event has just sky-rocketed. Everyone is so excited but there will be a little bit of nerves because there will be so many people here and it is a new circuit."
