Formula One driver Mario Andretti has claimed that Lewis Hamilton still has more to give, even though he is struggling to find his way back to the top of the podium.
Mercedes has found themselves off the pace of their rivals in the new era of regulations, as they struggle to find the right approach to the car’s aerodynamics.
Having failed to secure a victory during the season for the first time in his Formula 1 career, Hamilton also found himself being outscored by his teammate George Russell.
With speculation swirling over Hamilton’s future in Formula 1 and conversations about the pecking order at Mercedes, Andretti believes Hamilton is far from being past his peak.
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“I don’t think Hamilton is past his peak. But the difference between him and George Russell is that Russell has never driven a car that is as competitive as the Mercedes,” Andretti told PlanetF1.com.
“And Lewis Hamilton has never driven a car that’s as uncompetitive as Mercedes is at the moment.
“Lewis has always had the blessing of being with an extremely competitive car. Look at the McLaren times, when McLaren was at its peak – there he was.
“Now he has to fight a little bit harder to achieve what was easier to achieve.”
“So he’s having a tough time just really getting that last bit out of it, whereas George has never really experienced a car just as strong that’s still able to run up front.
“So there’s the difference – you can draw your own conclusions, but I wouldn’t write off Lewis by any means at this stage.”
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While some have claimed that Hamilton could be on the brink of retirement and others believe he is preparing to swap teams, the seven-time world champion has stated that he is still committed to Mercedes.
Hamilton has found himself in a relatively consistent position throughout the 2023 season, having finished in 5th place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and 6th place in Azerbaijan and Miami.
The Brit secured the only podium of the season so far for Mercedes in Australia, finishing in P2, behind Max Verstappen and ahead of Fernando Alonso.