HAMILTON’S EXPERIENCE OF TURNING SILVER INTO GOLD
hen it became apparent at the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season that Mercedes was in trouble, some observers claimed that it was the first time Lewis Hamilton had been given an uncompetitive car. But those with longer memories recalled 2009, when the McLaren MP4-24 proved to be a total disaster at the start of the year. Hamilton was left struggling in the wake of Brawn and Red Bull in a season that was dominated by the double diffuser.
There are many parallels between the situations in 2009 and 2022, as well as some differences. The common link is that Hamilton never gave up and helped to drive the team on, and in both cases his engineers responded and worked away to improve the car.
In 2009, McLaren went from close to the back of the grid to Hamilton winning the Hungarian Grand Prix in July. This year, Mercedes didn’t start from quite so far down the field, but initially there was a huge gulf to the pacesetters. By the recent Hungarian GP, the car was capable of taking pole in the hands of George Russell and, after an issue in qualifying, Hamilton logged his fifth consecutive podium with second place.
Even within the Mercedes camp, the comparison with 2009 has been very evident, and in effect used as a motivating tool. “We talked about it,” reveals team boss Toto Wolff. “Lewis said by Hungary we turned the car around in McLaren and it was competitive again. I must really say I admire both of our drivers who, in a very personal way, have contributed to develop the car throughout the season. Together, these two drivers at very different stages of their career were a tremendous force together in order to keep the spirits high.”
So what went wrong at McLaren in 2009, and how did the team that had carried Hamilton to the previous year’s world championship drop the ball?
