It's no secret that the start to the 2022 F1 season has been tricky for Lewis Hamilton. The promise of a podium in the opening race at Bahrain quickly vanished the following weekend in Saudi Arabia, and another poor showing in Imola has many questioning the seven times world champion.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has slammed the criticism of Hamilton.
Brundle, who claimed nine podiums during his 12 year F1 career, said that Hamilton's struggles could be explained by the poor Mercedes car he has been given for 2022. He also said that it is far too soon to write the Brit off, after so many seasons of excellence.
Martin Brundle rubbishes those writing off Lewis Hamilton after poor start to 2022
Lewis Hamilton has had a very mixed start to the 2022 F1 season. He finished 3rd in Bahrain, and was unlucky not to do so again in Australia. By contrast, he finished 10th after qualifying in 16th in Saudi Arabia, and could only manage 13th place last time out in Imola.
The struggles for Hamilton have led to many questioning the Brit's ability. The seven-times champion was beaten to the 2021 F1 title by Max Verstappen, and rumours have circulated ever since of an imminent retirement or departure from the sport.
Martin Brundle spoke to Sky Sports F1 on the matter, and he completely rubbished those claims. Brundle said:
All of a sudden, he's fed up, he's had enough, he should retire. That's just utter nonsense. His car's not working... let's hope Mercedes can get the car working sooner or later.
It's way too early to talk about Lewis leaving. It's only a few months ago that we were wondering whether the Brazilian GP weekend was Lewis' greatest-ever drive. We can't go from the revelation of Brazil to: He's a busted flush, he should stop. That's just silly talk.
I loved his line - 'it's my masterpiece and I'll decide when it's finished' - I thought it was genius. I think that summed it up perfectly. He can call the shots.
Brundle's final line referenced a recent Instagram post from Hamilton, in which he appeared to respond to the criticism he has faced.
Many of Hamilton's issues in 2022 appear to be due to the Mercedes car. Despite the success his new teammate George Russell has enjoyed so far, Hamilton has struggled to adapt to the new F1 regulations, and the Mercedes car is underperforming compared to the Ferrari and Red Bull.
Appearing on Sky Sports F1 on Thursday afternoon, Martin Brundle examined the issues Mercedes are having with their car.
He said that the team seem confident that they have found a solution to the 'porpoising' problem they have experienced so far this season, which causes the car to bounce uncomfortably at high speed. Many of the teams on the F1 grid have suffered from 'porpoising', but Mercedes' struggles have been particularly severe.
They've got to find the magic solution to get the car down, stop it bouncing, and allow the drivers to see the race track when they're arriving at critical braking and turn in points.
They've got to do that quite soon, otherwise they might have to write this car off and realise they've got to have a redesign. They do seem quite confident in the parts that they're bringing.
This weekend's Miami Grand Prix will be a real test of whether Mercedes have solved their issues at high speed, with two long straights incorporated into the track layout.
They will need to find some solutions soon if they are to contend for major honours in the F1 championship. One feels the questions around Lewis Hamilton will not be going away any time soon...
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