Lewis Hamilton gave quite a shock to Mercedes as he decided to switch to Ferrari in 2025. And while the move has given a bit of a headache to the Brackley-based squad in terms of finding his replacement, Ferrari is already reaping the benefits of signing the 7-time world champion as the Italian manufacturer’s stock price continues to grow following the official announcement. But it seems like there is a bit of silver lining for the Silver Arrows after all, as George Russell seems to have fully taken on the role of being the team leader. He has beaten Hamilton fair and square in the opening two rounds of the 2024 season. And as per the former F1 world champion, Alan Jones, this should be a wake-up call for Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton’s recent performances stand in stark contrast to the time when he was teammates with Valtteri Bottas and had gotten used to dominating the other Mercedes drivers. George Russell has started the 2024 season on the front foot after getting beaten by Hamilton in 2023. Russell has not only out-qualified the 7-time champion both in Bahrain and Jeddah, but he has also beaten him squarely on the race day.

In a recent conversation with the Herald Sun, former Australian champion, Alan Jones, pointed this out as a wake-up call for Hamilton. He suggested that if Lewis keeps getting beaten by his teammate, it won’t do much good for his confidence. He noted, “OK, it was good because when he [Lewis Hamilton] signed for Ferrari their share price just went up by about $20 billion or something. But at the end of the day, Lewis has really got to start to pull his finger out a little bit quite frankly. George Russell is now starting to give him a bit of a hiding now most times and the more that goes on, the more that will play on him.“

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As pointed out by Nico Rosberg, the one thing Lewis Hamilton hates the most is losing to his teammates. So why is it that he is not able to match the pace of George Russell?

Could Lewis Hamilton be facing issues setting up his car?

During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix practice sessions, Hamilton spoke about the challenges he faced with his car. He mentioned trying different setups to address issues like rear stability, particularly in the high-speed Sector 1 of the track. This problem persisted throughout the weekend, affecting Hamilton’s performance.

“We went in different directions to try different things to try and find the right solution for the car, but all I want is a stable rear – and then I will be happy,” said Hamilton after the session. Teams typically provide drivers with various setup options during practice sessions to find the best configuration for the car. Hamilton’s comments about experimenting with different setups have become more frequent, indicating ongoing struggles to find the optimal setup compared to his teammate.

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Despite his experience and track record of success, Hamilton is facing challenges in adapting to the changes in Formula 1 regulations since 2021. Mercedes’ improvements have not been sufficient to close the gap with Red Bull, leaving Hamilton frustrated with his current situation.

In his pursuit of performance, Hamilton is experimenting with different setups to achieve the rear-end stability he needs to extract maximum performance on the track, and this could be one of the reasons why Hamilton is giving away the advantage to George Russell.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Is it simply to do with the setup of the car or is there something else affecting Lewis’s confidence?