Lewis Hamilton backed to win F1 championship by Toto Wolff: “We owe it to him”
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Mercedes have experienced two years of poor performance, and two cars blighted by issues which have kept Hamilton out of the title picture.But there is renewed optimism ahead of the 2024 F1 season.Wolff was asked by The Telegraph if Hamilton can add to his seven titles, and said: “Always believe it’s possible. “You cannot start the season with an attitude of ‘This is not going to be possible.’ “We saw last year with McLaren, what a huge step they made with a single upgrade. “We’ve signed a two-year deal with Lewis, and we owe it to him, to George and to all the team to give it our full attention in 2024 and 2025. I think it’s possible.”Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most F1 championships ever.Since being denied the all-time record of eight at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under controversial circumstances, Hamilton has been forced to watch Red Bull’s Max Verstappen take over as the sport’s king.But the W14 has now been cast aside along with the bad memories of a largely uncompetitive year, and this season’s W15 will be unveiled on February 14.Hamilton and Russell both signed fresh contracts to stay at Mercedes until the end of 2025. From 2026, F1’s new regulations will kick in.Related Fears shared about Mercedes’ development: “The trouble is…” Ecclestone takes aim at Mercedes duo: ‘Hamilton failed a bit…’ Wolff followed suit by penning a new three-year deal this week to stay on as team principal.Already the owner of 33% of the F1 team, Wolff’s decision to publicise his new contract was a move designed to silence critics who believe he is edging towards the exit door, Sky’s Craig Slater insisted.Mercedes intend to bounce back this season having ditched their failed ‘zeropod’ concept but whether they have developed enough to threaten Red Bull remains to be seen.
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