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Lewis Hamilton Urged to End Mercedes Era on High Note Before Tackling Ferrari’s Chaos, Says Jacques Villeneuve
Lewis Hamilton must join Ferrari "as a champion" | "The team is in disarray"
"He doesn't want to carry that kind of burden to Ferrari. It's a tumultuous team – a challenging environment to be part of."
1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve emphasizes the critical importance of Lewis Hamilton concluding his tenure at Mercedes on a high note before his transition to Ferrari in the upcoming year.
After a 12-year tenure with Mercedes, Hamilton is set to conclude his time with the team this year, followed by an unexpected transition to Ferrari.
Prior to the British Grand Prix, Hamilton had been experiencing an extended period without a win, approaching almost 1000 days.
Overall, although Hamilton has secured two victories for Mercedes, his teammate George Russell has consistently shown more prowess, especially during the qualifying rounds.
During an appearance on Sky Sports' F1 Show in Azerbaijan, Villeneuve discussed the importance of Hamilton finishing the season strongly.
"He emphasized its significance," he remarked. "After such an extended period, he's been perceived as the victor because the car was effortlessly leading, but when challenges arose, Russell slightly took the lead."
"He doesn't wish to carry that burden to Ferrari. It's a tumultuous team – not the simplest environment to thrive in. He aims to join as a victor."
Hamilton experienced a notably positive Friday in Azerbaijan.
At 39 years of age, he secured the third quickest time in the second free practice session, merely 0.1 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.
"Hamilton described the day positively, saying, 'I had a great day. I started off strong and made gradual improvements to the setup as the day went on."
"For the first time, it seemed like we didn't need to retrace our steps. The progress was steady throughout. I'm not sure how my extended run stacks up against others since we didn't complete a significant number of laps.
"Red Bull appears to be fast, as is Ferrari. We're close in performance."
Hamilton expressed satisfaction with Mercedes' speed, yet he is maintaining a cautious stance regarding their potential for victory.
He finished by saying, "To be honest, I'm not sure. Today, it's hard to gauge the fuel levels everyone's working with. Usually, by the time we reach P3 or the qualifying rounds, most teams make significant progress, something we haven't consistently achieved. We're going to remain prudent and make the most of our resources. I'm hopeful that we're as competitive as we appear to be. Tomorrow will reveal the truth."
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