Wolff refutes premise over Hamilton's final Mercedes years

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied Lewis Hamilton's final three seasons with the squad should be labelled a failure.

Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 and enjoyed many success-filled years, winning six world championships and 84 grands prix with the team.

However, since 2022, the Briton has struggled for form with Mercedes slipping back in the pecking order. Hamilton ended his two-year win drought earlier this year at the British Grand Prix and inherited another victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

But it has been a largely difficult stint for the 39-year-old, who has opted to make the switch to Ferrari for next year.

“It's the most competitive motorsport in the world and we were lucky and blessed with winning eight consecutive world championship titles,” Wolff told media including RacingNews365, reflecting on his partnership with Hamilton.

“That wasn't done before in any other sport. And Lewis won seven drivers’ championships. 

“You cannot extrapolate from that that you're going to win forever or that you're in the hunt for every single championship. That doesn't happen.

“And the regulations were changed twice and we maintained the level of performance and won championships. And then we've just been caught out by these new regulations in 2022. 

“Until today, we're just not able to put steady performance on the car and provide the drivers with something that is predictable, that has enough downforce, that doesn't bounce or hop, that rides where the ride is acceptable, where the tyre degradation can be managed in the right way and not be too cold or too hot. And that is how sport goes.”

Despite the drop off in form across the last handful of seasons, the Hamilton-Mercedes partnership sits as the most successful in F1 history. 

Wolff reflected on a response given by Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2023, who stated “there is no failure in sports”, pointing to Michael Jordan's illustrious basketball career.

“Michael Jordan played 12 [sic] seasons or whatever, he won six championships - were the other six a failure?

“We've been together 12 years now in this championship and we won eight. Are the other ones a failure? 

“We finished third two years ago, we finished second last year, bearing in mind we haven't won a race, and we won three this year. So that is not all a failure. 

“That was a pretty good spell for Mercedes and for Lewis. And we will be trying to do it better. 

“We are trying to do it better every single day, every single weekend. And the same will be next season and then the big one in 2026.”