A surprising comparison has been drawn between Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton amid the latter’s recent struggles in Formula 1.
Ricciardo, after a series of underwhelming performances with AlphaTauri, was dropped from F1 following the Singapore GP, with his decline traced back to his departure from Red Bull. He was replaced by young driver Liam Lawson, reflecting the trend of teams giving fresh talent a chance.
Similarly, Mercedes is also shifting towards a younger lineup for 2025, with Kimi Antonelli set to replace Hamilton, who will move to Ferrari next season.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, has faced difficulties in his final season with Mercedes, unable to resolve the team’s performance issues in recent races.
Marc Priestly, a former McLaren mechanic, expressed concern over Hamilton’s decline, likening it to Ricciardo’s struggles.
Priestly suggested that the issue is not a sudden drop in skill for Hamilton, Ricciardo, or Sergio Perez, but rather how modern cars’ specific setup and driving requirements don’t align with their established driving styles.
These cars demand precise adjustments in setup and driving techniques, which these drivers are finding challenging, especially in terms of managing tire temperatures.
As soon as drivers fail to maintain optimal tire temperature, their performance drops, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.
Priestly believes this is the root cause of Hamilton’s struggles.
