British press slam Mercedes: 'Hamilton has a better chance with the circus'
F1 News
The British press has laid into Mercedes and Toto Wolff after a disastrous performance at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton fans are keen to see him fight for a record-breaking eighth World Championship title, but patience is wearing thin after the Brit dropped backwards through the field. Now the British press are defending Hamilton and pointing fingers at his team.
Blackpool Circus
"There is more chance of Lewis Hamilton winning an eighth world championship with Blackpool Tower Circus than with Mercedes," the DailyMail said. "One wonders whether Toto Wolff is a team principal capable of turning the tide. He lives in Monaco when the factory is in Brackley, Northamptonshire, an emblem of his detachment. Formula One history suggests the boss must be first in and last out, day in and day out. Wolff, 51, is hardly heading back to the Riviera content this time."
There then seems to be a suggestion that Mercedes will not be able to turn this around until at least the engine rule and regulation changes hitting the sport in 2026. Hamilton isn't contracted for the 2026 season (his deal expires in 2025), so there is concern amongst the British press that Hamilton will never even get a chance to fight for another World Championship, let alone win one.
But there's no denying that, generally, Mercedes have found significant improvements through the 2023 season. In fact, during the first two races in the recent triple-header, Hamilton finished second when the chequered flag dropped. Of course, a disqualification cost Hamilton points, but the team were keen to stress that progress was most important. The BBC therefore highlight the result in Brazil being a "surprise", almost like a one-off.
"It was an unwelcome surprise for the former champions after the team felt they had been making progress in recent races with an upgraded floor. Mercedes will leave Brazil with further questions about their recalcitrant car and unpredictable performance."
The Sun Newspaper lands somewhere between the two outlets mentioned above but does suggest Wolff would've been fired in the football world. The Sun acknowledges that questions need to be asked, and doubt has been raised again, but it's not as strong as the Blackpool Circus.
"It was a shocker for the former world champions, who look shadows of their former selves and again raises doubts if they will ever be able to catch Red Bull. If he were a manager of a Premier League football club, the dreadful form over the past two seasons would have Merc boss Toto Wolff facing the axe."
One thing is for certain: Mercedes need to get better results in the final two races of the season. The last thing they need is this additional pressure from the British press.