In the face of outrageous allegations of sabotage and foul play within the squad, Lewis Hamilton has defended teammate George Russell and issued a plea for solidarity for Mercedes. The seven-time world champion has had a difficult start to the 2024 Formula One season, which is his last with Mercedes before a sensational move to Ferrari in 2025.
Russell has dominated Hamilton’s performance, and the teammate is now 1-8 behind him in the qualifying head-to-head. Theories that Mercedes might be favoring Russell have been stoked by his surprising statement in Monaco that he doesn’t expect to out-qualify Russell again this year in addition to his subpar performance.
At the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday, Hamilton spoke to the media, including Crash.net, about the rumours and doubts that were going around on social media. Hamilton remarked, “They understand that over the years, we’ve been a solid team and have always put in a lot of effort together.” “Becoming emotional is simple. I even mentioned my flaws during the last race, for instance. We need encouragement, not criticism.
“To be honest, 
I had no idea that George was dealing with criticism. George cannot be criticized in the slightest because he has given the squad his all each and every weekend. Naturally, there are always methods for a team to function more effectively. We constantly strive to improve dialogue and communication to achieve this. However, we’re all in the same situation, putting in a lot of effort together, and wanting to end strong. We owe that to our enduring partnership.
In response to a question concerning an email purportedly from a Mercedes team member expressing worries about his vehicle being tampered with, Hamilton said, “I just commented on it, so not much more to add.” I am not aware of the email.
Russell also spoke on the matter, stating that he had not witnessed any hate speech aimed at him but conceding that social media had two sides. To be honest, I don’t personally check Instagram or Twitter,” he remarked. “As I am still in charge of my own account, I collaborate with my team and am responsible for all content that is posted, including all captions and messaging.
However, social media, in my opinion, has two serious drawbacks. Social media keeps you informed about a lot of things and has a lot of funny stuff to watch. On the other hand, not only do I feel like a target of hate, but everyone in the spotlight does as well.
Lewis made the point that you should feel supported rather than spread negativity to other people. Although I haven’t seen it, I have heard about it. Of course, hearing such things is never pleasant, but that is the reality of the world we live in today and what faces anyone in the public spotlight.
The remarks made by Hamilton and Russell emphasize the necessity of the Mercedes team sticking together and providing support to each other as they face the difficulties of the 2024 season and get ready for Hamilton’s exit.
