Lewis Hamilton finds himself battling two of his former teams at the sharp end of the grid, chasing a third championship with a different constructor – something only one driver in history has ever done before.
McLaren, where Hamilton started his career back in 2008, have finally worked their way back to the top. The British driver has been vocal in his support as they’ve climbed their way back up over recent seasons.
READ MORE: F1 team with 102 races must cost Christian Horner £298m, as he chases ownership dream
The Woking-based outfit spent years struggling after Hamilton left in 2012 but now find themselves setting the pace for others to follow. For Ferrari, finishing above Mercedes and claiming second place looks like a more realistic target than catching McLaren.
Ferrari currently hold a slim 12-point lead over Mercedes midway through the season. While their car hasn’t matched up on outright speed, Mercedes have leaned heavily on George Russell’s consistency as rookie Kimi Antonelli continues to find his feet.
Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff still keep in contact with Lewis Hamilton
In an interview with The Athletic, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff reflected on the moment he truly accepted Hamilton’s departure. Their time together had not only been the most successful in F1 history but also the longest-lasting driver-team partnership.
It was when Wolff saw a photo of Hamilton standing outside Enzo Ferrari’s house in January that it finally hit home. The end of an era had arrived. And it wasn’t an easy goodbye for the seven-time world champion.
Even though he managed an emotional win at Silverstone, Hamilton endured what was statistically the worst season of his career, finishing outside the top six for the first time and struggling to match George Russell’s pace.
Wolff has said he is ‘very proud’ of how they managed his exit, which was announced during winter testing. He also confirmed that they still spend time together away from racing, often joined by his wife Susie.
“I’m very proud of how we’ve kept the relationships even when it was tough, celebrated the 12 years that we had together, the longest relationship between a driver and a team, and most successful one,” Wolff said.
“We went out of this as great friends, trusting friends even though he’s in a red garage now and not in a black one anymore. Obviously that first photo in front of Enzo house that was like okay this is real.”
What Lewis Hamilton would do if Ferrari tried to appoint Christian Horner
It’s likely that Ferrari are fine with Hamilton keeping in touch with Wolff, even though the Mercedes boss is still a direct rival. The relationship between them isn’t something Ferrari would want to stand in the way of.
On the other hand, Fred Vasseur has started feeling some pressure. It’s been another season without a win, and while they’re still sitting second overall, it hasn’t really matched what was expected.
Vasseur’s contract runs out at the end of this season, but there have been reports of a one-year extension offer on the table. That doesn’t exactly scream full confidence from the team.
And with Christian Horner now on the market – having managed 124 wins compared to Wolff’s 120 – there are whispers about him being a potential replacement. But it appears Hamilton has already made it clear he wouldn’t stay if Horner took over.
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