Mercedes learn impact of Man Utd takeover as Lewis Hamilton fans ‘let down’

Lewis Hamilton has been ground down by his Mercedes struggles and has now changed his tune over how he criticises the Silver Arrows engineers.

At the start of the season, the 38-year-old urged Mercedes staff to ‘own’ the team’s struggles.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car. Like, I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need.

“And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.

“We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.

“We’re still multi-World Champions you know, it’s just they haven’t got it right this time, they didn’t get it right last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forward.”

But now, Hamilton eases off his team, perhaps understanding his much of an impact the disastrous performances have had on the group. The seven-time world champion said he was ‘proud’ of his colleagues after a woeful Brazilian Grand Prix a week ago.

“One thing the car is really unpredictable. In a sense of one weekend it feels good, one session it feels good, and then not,” Hamilton said.

“I’m sure we will go and look at things and find things we should have done differently but with the one [practice] session it’s difficult.

“But I’m still proud of the team, they still came here and did their work, they hold their head up high and that’s what we have to continue to do. Just keep pushing forward. Two more races with this thing. Hopefully no more driving it.”