The seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, has been in a tough place lately. The year 2021 saw the Briton in his element for the last time. His critics believe his career is in its final stage. Many assume Lewis hasn’t recovered from losing his eighth title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. While some, like F1 pundit Peter Windsor, blamed Hamilton’s poor performance on Mercedes, Recently, Peter Windsor claimed: “The decision on Bottas from Toto Wolff and Co. was technically a ‘sabotage’ for Hamilton.”

This statement sparked controversy. Hamilton’s supporters agreed and accused Mercedes of disrespecting Lewis. Others criticized Hamilton for losing his zeal for the sport. Amidst all this chaos, experts have come up with their reasoning. Well, whether Mercedes sabotaged Lewis Hamilton or not needs to be clarified, doesn’t it?

Damon Hill’s support for Hamilton’s competitive spirit

In a conversation with the F1 Nation Podcast on Spotify, former World Champion Damon Hill gave his opinions on these alleged sabotage allegations by Peter Windsor. All this began at the Canadian Grand Prix.

In the post-race interview, Lewis expressed disappointment with his performance; he said he didn’t feel like he delivered the best of himself in that particular race [Montreal], but George did a fantastic job. “George is getting a lot more attention, necessarily because Lewis Hamilton is off,” observed Hill. This could be one of the reasons why supporters keep saying Mercedes has sabotaged Hamilton since Russell joined the squad in 2022.

The host, Tom Clarkson, further asks Hill about his take on George Russell getting more attention. Clarkson further points out that Lewis is getting the same kick as George. On one wing to Monaco, Lewis said, “Give it to George.” Damon Hill highlighted that if Lewis is going, then Mercedes needs to build George up because he’ll be the only known quantity they’ll have for the following year.

The team has to be all around him. “Lewis can look after himself; he knows the team well enough, and he will deliver. Between that and the end of the season, Lewis might win some races, which will be good,” Damon Hill further stated. This episode covered another important side of the Mercedes squad, namely, George Russell out-qualifying Lewis Hamilton. What did Damon Hill have to say about it?

Geroge Russell has outperformed Lewis Hamilton in every race this season

Lewis Hamilton’s teammate George Russell has outqualified him in every race this season. “Russell has done a fantastic job at holding his own against the seven-time world champion,” says Hill. He’s trying desperately to establish himself as the kingpin of that team so that they have confidence in him. He has been delivering.

According to Damon Hill: “He’s [George] expressing himself in the car sometimes with slight desperation, in attempts at overtaking.” But whatever he is trying to do is yielding fruitful results. Russell has been able to maximize the performance of W15, which Hamilton has somewhat failed to do.

Hamilton’s fans were hoping to see his last dance with Mercedes this year. As he leaves for Ferrari next year, it will be exciting to see what he can do with them. As hopes build up for an eighth title for him, no one denies that Lewis Hamilton is a legend of F1.

Lewis Hamilton is facing a challenging phase in his career amidst criticism. Claims of Mercedes’ “sabotage” have sparked debate, dividing opinions among fans and experts. Fans believe Hamilton can still perform and show that he is indeed not yet “finished.” Russell’s strong performance is adding pressure but also rekindling hope for the team’s future. The upcoming races will reveal how Mercedes navigates these controversies and aims for peak performance.