As Formula One entered 2022 with the long-awaited regulation change, there have been plenty of storylines to maintain on prime of. Max Verstappen had turn out to be champion, so would his aggressive driving fashion change? Was the sector going to shut up as a lot as followers had hoped? How would Charles Leclerc bounce again from being crushed by his Ferrari teammate? May Haas survive with out the cash from the Mazepin household? It’s an extended checklist, however one merchandise I hadn’t anticipated ought to’ve been on it’s being requested now — has Lewis Hamilton misplaced it?

What a loopy idea such a query would appear only some months in the past, but right here we’re, and it appears affordable for any individual to ask. Involved Hamilton followers are filling web boards with some half-hearted protection of their seven-time champion whereas these prepared for a altering of the guard gleefully exclaim it’s the top of Lewis’ reign.

With George Russell becoming a member of Mercedes for 2022 and doing so properly, the strain for Hamilton to excel in opposition to the sister Mercedes is increased than normal, too. Hamilton has had two teammates since carrying Mercedes overalls, and he bested each of their first years collectively, considerably setting the tone for the remainder of their partnership.

Valtteri Bottas by no means outperformed Lewis, and Nico Rosberg solely snatched his championship because of Hamilton’s engine failure in Malaysia. When one driver beats one other throughout the crew, it shifts the mentality contained in the storage. They could take heed to the concepts of their brightest star greater than the opposite driver or prioritize upgrades and developments to go on one automobile earlier than the opposite. Laying the inspiration of who the crew chief is crucial in that first 12 months of a driver pairing — simply ask Sebastian Vettel about his 2019 alongside Charles Leclerc.

So, with 4 rounds down, Hamilton sits in P7 with 28 factors whereas Russell is in P4 with 49. It units the flawed tone from Lewis’ viewpoint. The 21-point deficit is gigantic when it’s not going both driver is in a main {position} to take victories this season. There are solely ten factors for a fifth-place finish. When each Red Bulls and Ferraris finish a race, that’s exactly the very best {position} that Hamilton or Russell can hope for — have a look at Saudi Arabia, for instance.

Mercedes fortuitously took P3 and P4 on the season-opener in Bahrain after Red Bull’s disastrous double-DNF late within the race. Then, after one other Verstappen mechanical failure and Sainz’s journey to the gravel, they repeated the feat in Australia. Hamilton’s Bahrain podium shocked even him, however what shocked me most was how shut George Russell stored to his new stablemate that day. The teen was by no means greater than ten seconds away from the skilled Hamilton.

Since Bahrain, Russell has outscored Hamilton in any respect three races. First, Hamilton dropped out of Q1 in Saudi Arabia whereas Russell certified P6. Subsequent, Russell benefited from a security automobile in Australia to leapfrog Hamilton to be the lead Mercedes. Lastly, Russell superior by the pack at Emilia Romagna whereas Hamilton stagnated. They are saying the teammate is the perfect benchmark for the way a driver is doing, and properly, Russell is besting Hamilton proper now. For those who’re a Lewis fan, this will likely appear uncommon and uncomfortable studying…

Nevertheless, let’s take away the sensational scorching take glasses for a second. Hamilton was one lap away from taking an eighth world championship lower than half a 12 months in the past. If not for a security automobile, he would have two podiums in 2022, and his low factors tally is coming from an lack of ability to get the Mercedes F1 W13 to warmth its tires for qualifying — one thing each Merc drivers have complained about. There weren’t many overtakes on the notoriously difficult-to-pass Imola, and Russell benefited vastly from a good begin and Carlos Sainz’s first nook collision with Daniel Ricciardo’s to advance 5 locations inside two corners.

The knee-jerk reactions to Hamilton’s poor begin are symptomatic of the fickleness of F1 followers. When his Ferrari slumped from a race-winning machine to a midfield struggler, Charles Leclerc didn’t lose it. Likewise, Michael Schumacher didn’t turn out to be a horrible driver as a result of he solely scored one win in 2005 after claiming 13 victories one 12 months earlier. That is how the game works, and by no means is the expression “it’s a crew recreation” extra apt than when a constructor surges forwards or slips again between seasons.

The 2022 Mercedes just isn’t the world-beater its earlier eight iterations have been, however the crew is coping with new rules, together with a lot much less wind tunnel time than their rivals. They centered on the 2021 automobile a lot later into final season than they normally would, because of the tight championship struggle with Verstappen, too. Consequently, their Brackley HQ is undoubtedly coping with very totally different morale this 12 months, however that’s how all sport goes.

So no, Lewis Hamilton hasn’t misplaced it. It’s early within the championship, and the qualifying performances from the game’s best-ever qualifier haven’t met the ordinarily impeccable requirements we’ve grown accustomed to since 2014. This poor begin is only a easy wake-up to a fact that long-term followers are properly aware of — the perfect drivers might find yourself with the perfect groups, but when the perfect groups don’t make the perfect automobile, the perfect drivers don’t win.