"It does feel that mentally Lewis Hamilton has moved on": F1 pundit makes sharp assessment of the driver's relationship with Mercedes

Former McLaren driver and F1 pundit David Coulthard claimed that Lewis Hamilton had 'mentally moved on' from the Mercedes F1 team after he finished P7 at the Monaco GP on Sunday. The seven-time world champion was largely ineffective in a race that was a procession from start to finish as he could not make any headway and improve his position.

Despite making a mid-race pitstop, the British driver was not able to pass Max Verstappen and his teammate George Russell ahead and make use of his fresher tires.

During the live broadcast on F1 TV, David Coulthard spoke about the shift in Lewis Hamilton's mindset ahead of his move to Ferrari next year. He said in the commentary booth:

"So at the risk of upsetting some people, Lewis was quite vocal after qualifying that he seemed to have some performance drops going into the quali and having a different front wing."

"It feels that the relationship [Mercedes and Hamilton] has respect and all [are] working hard to try and get the best results they can between now and the end of the season but it does feel mentally he has moved on," he added.

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Mercedes team boss gives his take on Lewis Hamilton partnership in 2024

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were trying their best to maximize results and give the latter the best sendoff possible.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the Austrian said:

"We're trying to do the best out of the relationship and maximize the results for what is the final season. Always, between drivers and teams, it can be tense at times because everybody wants to do their best."

"I think, as a team, we've demonstrated even in the most tense competitions between teammates we're trying to always balance it right and be transparent and fair," he added.

Wolff also claimed that the team was committed to giving its best to both drivers despite the on-track struggles:

"I can understand it as a driver, you want the best out of yourself and the team, and sometimes when it's going against you, you can question. But as a team, we're 100 percent on a mission of giving both drivers the best possible cars, strategies, and support."

Mercedes is currently P4 in the Constructors Championship and has scored 96 points in the eight races and two sprints thus far in the 2024 season. Despite bringing the upgrades in Imola and Monaco, the German team is still 88 points behind McLaren, who are a place above them in the standings.

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is P8 in the Driver's Championship with 42 points and remains a place behind George Russell in P7 in the standings, who has amassed 54 points thus far.