Ted Kravitz has expressed doubts about the alignment of views between Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff regarding the W15, suggesting that the seven-time World Champion perceives the car as being “cursed”.
During the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton, encountered misfortune when his W15 suffered an engine failure on lap 17, leading to his retirement from the race while contending for lower-end points. This incident marked the culmination of a turbulent weekend for the seven-time World Champion.
His dissatisfaction with the car surfaced early, evident after Friday’s practice sessions where he languished in 18th place. Describing it as “one of the worst sessions” he had experienced in a while, Hamilton admitted “I feel the least confident I’ve ever felt with this car.”
Despite Mercedes’ significant adjustments to the car’s setup, Hamilton’s optimism briefly resurged during Free Practice 3, where he remarked positively about the car’s performance, only to be thwarted in qualifying. Hamilton found himself eliminated in Q2, settling for 11th place on the timesheet.
In a conversation with Sky F1, Hamilton expressed his frustration, labeling the issue as “just another inconsistency within the car,” emphasizing its disruptive impact on his mental state.
He described his W15 as being “on a bit of a knife edge,” indicating its precarious balance, and highlighted the existence of a “long list” of necessary fixes that needed urgent attention.
However, his remarks stood in stark contrast to those of his teammate, George Russell, whose performance showcased a different narrative. Russell, securing the seventh fastest time, disclosed that he was not encountering the same fluctuations in confidence or performance as Hamilton.
However, despite their team boss Toto Wolff‘s optimism about Mercedes’ prospects, stating his belief that the team will eventually succeed, affirming that he still “believes that there is more in this car” and asserting that it is “not a bad car.” Kravitz doubts that Hamilton shares the same outlook as his team boss.
“I thought it was optimistic that Toto Wolff still believes that this car is somehow going to get there, because clearly, I don’t think Lewis Hamilton believes it,” Kravitz stated.
“I think Lewis Hamilton thinks it’s cursed with the same bad handling characteristics, especially in the rear of the car that last year’s car, and the car the year before it, had as well.
“Clearly this car is still not right.
“Toto when I spoke to him said, ‘I still think we can make it right’.
“But Lewis pretty much wrote off this year’s World Championship. I know you’re going to say to me, ‘Yeah, anyone not in a Red Bull is not going to win this year’s World Championship’. But there are 21 races still to go.
“Okay it is obvious Lewis is not going to win the championship and it might not be the golden goodbye to Mercedes before he goes to Ferrari but he can still score podiums and win races.”
