Toto Wolff resolute: 'Hamilton is still the best driver in the world'

Lewis Hamilton did not manage to win a Grand Prix in 2023 either, yet the Mercedes driver finished third in the drivers' championship. Not a place that excites the driver, as his ultimate goal is that eighth world title. Toto Wolff is confident it will come.

In recent weeks, Lewis Hamilton's season fissled out. Even in Abu Dhabi last weekend, the seven-time champion never for a moment managed to compete for the podium spots. "From Lewis' perspective, he had a bad weekend," Wolff told the media - including GPblog. "That is a fact. I think that doesn't do anything on him being the greatest driver in the world, and if we are able to give him a car, then he will be fighting for a world championship. I have no doubt."

Wolff understands poor results Mercedes

Wolff says he understands that Hamilton could not perform miracles with the W14. "It's clear that when you have a Formula One car like we have now, you’re never at ease with it, and you have good weekends and bad weekends, but at the end, every time when we've seen that Lewis has somebody in his target in front of him, and it was about winning the race, then the real Lewis comes alive, and I think we just need to give him a car."

Moreover, Wolff understands - he says - that it is impossible to be the best team every year. He refers to a board hanging in Mercedes' factory. On it, it shows up to 2050, and has places for where his team finishes. Wolff thinks that once he looks back on the current period in 10 or 20 years, there will still be some form of pride: "Second, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, third, second. And when you look at it from that perspective, you kind of say that was okay. Now, from a micro view, there's one guy that won 19 races, so that is, of course, not good enough."