Hamilton struggled at Mercedes: 'That really kind of held us back'

Whereas the seven-time world champion ended the title race with Max Verstappen in a loss at the end of 2021, Hamilton had a difficult time with Mercedes at the start of this year. Problems with porpoising, among others, prevented the German team from catching up with Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

The competition continued to drop and Hamilton found himself in a difficult period. However, the driver was experienced enough to deal with the situation and look for solutions internally, which he and George Russell eventually succeeded in doing.

"The beginning of the year was not miserable, because there could always be way worse, but just in terms of… I would say from a driver's perspective, understanding this car was… so confusing," Hamilton recalled. "We were trying to advance [but you had] no trust in the machine beneath you, particularly like the rear end. And that really kind of held us back a little bit."

Mercedes direct rival to Ferrari

Hamilton acknowledges that he has gained more energy since the car returned to a consistent impression. In the second half of the season, the Briton hopes to take the fight to Ferrari, which is second in the constructors' championship.