“The mighty Lewis is still in there” - David Coulthard backs Lewis Hamilton to show George Russell ‘why he’s won 7 championships’

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton wrapped up the 2022 season by recording his lowest finish in the drivers' standings with Mercedes. His fortunes continue to remain unchanged this season as the team has had an underwhelming start to the season.

Despite a poor start, David Coulthard is backing Hamilton to make a comeback. Coulthard reckons that Hamilton is operating at the same level as when he won six championships with the Silver Arrows, but it is the car beneath him that is letting him down.

Lewis Hamilton's younger teammate George Russell has fared well, extracting more pace from the car this season. The former Red Bull driver explained why Russell was faster as he said to Channel 4:

"This is the best car that George has ever driven, remember he was at Williams. This is not the best car that Lewis has ever driven."

"His [Hamilton] mind is in a different place. The car isn’t talking to him, playing to his strengths and you can see he is fighting it out there. It’s just not stable. So you have two drivers at different phases of their career. The mighty Lewis is still in there. It just won’t really show itself until the Mercedes is as mighty as it once was."

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

George Russell toiled in the back of the grid for three years driving the tricky Williams car, which is helping him better handle the W14. Meanwhile, Hamilton feels a disconnect with the car, unable to feel and predict its behavior.

Coulthard also added that contract issues might be troubling the 38-year-old Mercedes driver. Making his conclusions about the intra-team rivalry, he said:

"George is doing a brilliant job, [he is an] absolute asset for the team. That’s not to say Lewis isn’t doing a brilliant job, it just means that the car isn’t talking to him right now and when it does, expect him to be showing George why he won seven World Championships."

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Ex-F1 team owner recommends Lewis Hamilton to "get out of Mercedes" and reinvent himself

Lewis Hamilton

Ex-F1 team boss Eddie Jordan suggests Lewis Hamilton leave Mercedes and join another team in his hunt for the elusive eighth title. Jordan has commented on the situation after Hamilton and Mercedes have not reached a conclusion over the contract extension saga.

The 75-year-old reasoned on the Formula For Success podcast:

"My only concern is that Lewis has to find something else in his mojo now and he needs to get out of there. He needs to move on, just like he did when he was with McLaren. Get out of Mercedes, Lewis. It’s time you reinvented yourself somewhere else."

Lewis Hamilton is most likely to extend his contract with the Silver Arrows, as moving to any other front-running team except Red Bull would be a sideways step. If the seven-time world champion does decide to stir up the F1 driver market, an exciting silly season lies ahead.