© Sam Bloxham for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin says “the fact that we haven’t had a competitive car made it difficult for Lewis, because he is a driver who is just born to win races”.
After Lewis Hamilton’s incredible victory at the British Grand Prix, his first in two and a half years, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin was asked if he has seen any self-doubt within Lewis during this winless period.
“I mean, it’s inevitable, and I think the whole team has had a period of that,” Shovlin told the F1 Nation podcast when asked if he had seen any self-doubt from Hamilton in the period since his last victory.
“When we launched our third bad car in a row, we’re all wondering, why have we made that mistake? And how have we done that again?
“So it does have you questioning what you’re doing, and I think the fact that we haven’t had a competitive car made it difficult for Lewis, because he is a driver who is just born to win races.
“And it’s been a tough few years for him having had so many difficult results.
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“It’s not like he’s had all bad races, because he’s got George, who’s an incredibly fast driver and a very difficult person to beat, and Lewis has had his fair share of races where he’s been ahead of George – it’s just that we weren’t able to win because we didn’t have the car to win.”
Shovlin added Mercedes wanted to end this year on a high, after they learned of Lewis’ decision to move to Ferrari in 2025.
“When Lewis announced he was going to Ferrari, all of us felt like: ‘Well, let’s make this year one to remember, and let’s go out with something to celebrate.’”
“So the entire team was hoping that this would be a year that we could get back to winning races and have some results, because it would be a real shame if that absolutely incredible chapter of Lewis’ career that is at Mercedes, if that were to sort of finish with three winless seasons on the trot.
“We’re happy for him, we’re happy for the team, but there’s nothing that we want more than for that chapter with Lewis to finish with a happy ending,” the Briton concluded.
