Even before the season-opening F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton’s pessimism about Mercedes’ car was met by team principal Toto Wolff stating that the entire concept must be reconsidered.
George Russell then claimed that the championship was already Red Bull’s and, factoring in that Hamilton is in the final year of his current contract, the mood at Mercedes is drab.
Sky’s Kravitz said: “Are we seeing a team in existential re-evaluating in their own belief in their abilities?
“An abandonment of everything they have worked so hard on for the past seven or eight months.
“They are searching for a new concept that the boss is demanding. Toto is demanding a new concept from his designers and engineers. What will the response be?
“I don’t think Lewis is writing it off mentally now. I don’t think he can. How could he? “He is encouraging the team to get on with it. Toto will task and inspire his team to build a new car.
“A Plan B wasn’t in the pipeline. But Wolff has now tasked his team with a Plan B.
“Toto said rather dismissively: ‘I won’t get too excited about a three tenths of a second upgrade coming in Imola’.
“He’s the boss. He’s going to get [a Plan B].”
Wolff’s initial plan to bring an upgrade for the sixth race of the season was overwritten by his desire for a new concept to the W14 after a below-par Bahrain Grand Prix.
Hamilton was fifth and Russell was seventh, as even Mercedes’ customer team Aston Martin rubbed salt in their wound by outperforming them.
Hamilton is now 38-years-old and his desire to break the all-time record by winning an eighth F1 championship look bleak, after just one race of this season.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull won in Bahrain and is seeking a third consecutive championship which could be a huge blow to Hamilton’s hopes of securing the all-time record.
