Wolff's theory for Hamilton's 'fish out of water' form at Ferrari

09:31, 21 Nov

Updated: 09:33, 21 Nov

byTobia Elia

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff attempted to shed light on the challenges Lewis Hamilton has faced in his debut year with Ferrari.

“You come to an Italian team, with such a passion and emotion, it’s a little bit like a fish out of water”

- Toto Wolff

The Austrian manager, speaking to Sky Sports in Las Vegas, pointed out that Hamilton, stepping into a completely different environment like Ferrari, has felt “like a fish out of water”.

“I think you probably only realise when you’ve been in similar structures, like at British teams. McLaren, and then Mercedes, there is a kind of normality because you’re British and you’re operating in this environment.

“Then you come to an Italian team, with such a passion and emotion, it’s a little bit like a fish out of water, but if he has a car that he likes, then he can drive fast.”

Lewis Hamilton - Photo: Ferrari Media Center

Hamilton fires back at Ferrari chief after 'talk less' order

The Brit, like his teammate, found himself at the center of a media storm after the Brazilian GP following some strong comments from President Elkann, who urged his drivers to “focus on driving more and talk less.”

The remarks caused quite a stir, and all eyes were on the seven-time world champion for a response during Las Vegas media day — a response that didn’t take long to arrive.

Here’s what Hamilton had to say on the matter.

Hamilton comes with optimistic remark after Las Vegas opening day

The seven-time world champion had a first day on track in Las Vegas that didn’t match his teammate’s performance, who topped FP1 and finished third in FP2.

Despite this, Hamilton said he was reasonably satisfied with the car’s behavior despite the cold and tricky conditions and didn’t want to make too many setup changes.

Here’s what he had to say after practice.

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