Ross Brawn admits that Lewis Hamilton's current situation at Mercedes reminds him of when Michael Schumacher made a comeback with the team in 2010. The Silver Arrows faced a challenging start to the 2022 season and, despite making progress in recent races, the Brackley-based squad have so far been unable to win a race. Hamilton currently sits P6 in the World Championship standings on 168 points, while teammate George Russell is 35 points ahead in P4. Whilst Brawn thinks that Hamilton is now in the latter stages of his time in the sport, the Managing Director believes there is a reason why he has been beaten by Russell. "Lewis is in the twilight of his career," Brawn told German publication F1-Insider . "But that doesn't mean it's over. This year, for the first time in a long time, he has a car that he can't win with. So he's putting a lot of energy into trying to change that. "For him, this time is a kind of character test. It's possible that his teammate George Russell is hungrier in the races because of that."
Brawn compares Hamilton's situation to Schumacher's comeback
Brawn was Team Principal at Mercedes when Schumacher returned to Formula 1 in 2010, having previously retired at the end of 2006, and he can see similarities between the German's role at the squad then and Hamilton's current challenge. "You can compare Lewis' situation a bit to Michael's comeback with Mercedes," Brawn explained. "As a driver you always have to decide whether you want to be part of the solution or part of the problem. Michael redefined his role then, so he was part of the solution and helped build the team that went on to win eight Constructors' titles in a row. "He sacrificed himself, so to speak, for the future of the team and played a decisive role in the foundation of its success." Brawn believes that Schumacher was still quick during his comeback, despite his three-year stint at Mercedes not yielding the same success that he had previously experienced with Ferrari. "He was still fast as hell," Brawn said. "He proved that in 2012 with pole position in Monaco. You can't get that if you don't still have that special ability. And similar to Lewis with George Russell, Michael had a young teammate in Nico Rosberg who was insanely good. "Nico was also underestimated at the time. Everybody thought he was just second choice, but he was a tough guy, very ambitious and later even became World Champion against Lewis."
Hamilton will bounce back, says Brawn
While the 2022 season may not have gone the way that Hamilton or Mercedes might have hoped, Brawn expects the 37-year-old driver to experience success again. "Lewis will come back, I'm convinced of that," Brawn added. "Just like his team. I am of the opinion that weak phases that you have to overcome make you even stronger. I know that from my own experience." Mercedes currently sit third in the Constructors' Championship, 35 points behind second-placed Ferrari, while Red Bull hold a 139-point advantage over the Scuderia at the top of the standings.
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