Mercedes Struggles: A Critical Season Ahead as Hamilton Eyes Ferrari Move

Mercedes has been performing below expectations since the beginning of the season, in all aspects. Despite being built around Lewis Hamilton, the car has proven to be difficult to drive, facing engine issues in Bahrain and lack of speed in the Saudi Arabian GP. This has exposed Mercedes’ weaknesses to their rivals, as they were expected to provide a competitive car for Hamilton to secure his eighth world championship. With Hamilton set to join Ferrari in 2025, the 2024 season becomes crucial for Mercedes. To salvage the rest of the year, they must develop a significant upgrade by identifying the weaknesses of the car. Team principal Toto Wolff has identified a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed. Despite working on the car for the past two years, Mercedes has failed to close the gap to the leaders due to their inability to identify this issue. Resolving it will allow them to achieve better results. Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have expressed disappointment with Mercedes’ performance in the last two races. They have faced the same car performance issues and lack of space to deliver strong races. Russell, who qualified third in the Bahrain GP, encountered several issues during the race, including engine cooling. He believes that Mercedes needs to fully understand the car to maximize their results in the upcoming weekends. It remains to be seen how Mercedes will fare in the next races, as they have not gained any positive momentum in the first two.