There has been a change of guard at the front. We now have two youngsters in Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc fighting for the title. Former team owner Ross Brawn gives his thought on this and why Lewis Hamilton still matters to F1.

Lewis Hamilton is still a factor in the championship

George Russell has been able to get more out of the W13 than Lewis. Not just that, Russell has also finished in the top five of every race so far. The general assumption has been that Lewis Hamilton is struggling within the team. And when Lewis got lapped in Imola by Max Verstappen, there were a lot of comments and comparisons being made. 

However former Mercedes boss Ross Brawn disagrees with the assessment. Ross believes that apart from all the media attention, Lewis is still determined to turn things around.

“Amid all the glitz and the glamour, you still have a very determined racing driver,” said F1’s managing director of racing. “He’s still supremely fit and capable. I’m pretty certain he wants to win that eighth championship and, if not this year as looks likely, then next year.

“I don’t know enough about what Mercedes’ issues are to know if they can be fixed with the concept of car they have or whether they have to review the concept. They’ll sort it out I’m sure… but it’s obviously very fragile what they’re dealing with.”

READ MORE:  WATCH: ‘Torpedo’ Daniil Kvyat Breaks F1 CEO’s Glasses During Charity Football Match in Monaco

Brawn also touched on how the likes of Lando Norris and George Russell climbing up the grid are important for the sport. With Max and Charles fighting it out every weekend, he believes this is the golden era of the sport. 

“We’ve been blessed with great young drivers,” said Brawn. “We want 20 of the best drivers in Formula 1. We don’t want drivers who have bought their way in.

How Barcelona is a turning point for Mercedes

Barcelona was a momentous race for Mercedes. George Russell stood on the podium. Lewis Hamilton had an incredible comeback drive. But more importantly, the car feels better to drive. 

“We’ve had one race out of six where the car has been well-behaved,” said James Vowles, Head of Strategy at Mercedes. “It was a car that was really a proper racing car for once.

“We could set it up, we could tune it, we could play around with the settings and it would respond in a way that was predictable. And the same couldn’t be said for the car that we had in the first five races of the season.” 

Watch This Story: Two Decades Later Red Bull Disastrously Recreates 2002 Austrian GP

So now the eight-time constructor champions have a car that runs lower, can work the tire better, and produces less drag. And while James mentioned that expectations should be kept in check, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for Mercedes.