Lewis Hamilton 'not as mature' as Nico Rosberg and George Russell claims former Mercedes engineer

Former Mercedes engineer Philipp Brändle claimed that Lewis Hamilton was not as 'mature' as Nico Rosberg and George Russell in terms of inculcating data and technology into his driving. Russell and Rosberg have arguably been the two drivers that have pushed Hamilton the most since he joined Mercedes at the beginning of the 2013 season till now.

Although the seven-time world champion got the better of the German in three of their four seasons together, the 2016 world champion pushed him all the way in 2013 and 2014 while Russell and Hamilton are tied 1-1 in their two seasons.

Speaking with Motorsport-Total, Brändle spoke about the key differences between Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and George Russell in terms of characteristics. Brandle opined that compared to Rosberg and Russell, Hamilton didn't capitalize on the data and technology available to drivers. He said (via PlanetF1):

“What characterizes Lewis is simply his incredible feel for the car. I would say that in terms of the data and the technology, he is perhaps not as mature as other drivers, such as Nico Rosberg or now perhaps George Russell," Brandle said.

"But he has an incredible feel for the car, just like Michael Schumacher was said to have back then. He feels the car like no other, so if it feels like a screw is loose somewhere at 320 kilometers per hour, he can feel it right from the start,” he added.

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Lewis Hamilton previews the second half of the 2024 season

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton spoke about spending his summer break in Africa and said that although he did not need the break for he was coming on the back of winning two of the three races before the shutdown, the gap did allow him the opportunity to assess the situation and strategize for the remainder of the season.

As quoted by Mercedes' official website, the 39-year-old said:

"We all recharge in different ways. I did not go into the break that tired but to be able to take your foot off the gas and not be flat out for a period of time is important. In the long run, I am going to notice that, especially when I look at where I want to improve in the final half of the season."

He also pointed out that the German team's 'turnaround' in the 2024 season had been 'phenomenal' given they started the season on a deficit to their closest rivals. He added:

"The turnaround feels phenomenal. Everyone has worked so hard and stayed so motivated and focused. It is nice to know we have a car that we can use to fight for wins and podiums. I am getting more and more comfortable with the car as it improves. I have been working so hard all year and trying to get better," Hamilton said.

Lewis Hamilton is currently P6 in the Driver's Championship on 150 points after 14 races and three Sprints thus far and is the only driver apart from Max Verstappen to win multiple races this year.