Lewis Hamilton overcame 'a bit of a shock' with Mercedes' lack of competitiveness in 2022 F1 season

Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin claims Lewis Hamilton had to overcome a bit of a shock with his team's lack of competitiveness in the 2022 season. The seven-time world champion was 'used to' having a competitive car underneath him since 2014 but suddenly found himself fighting for points this year.

Lewis Hamilton is edging closer and closer to that ever-elusive first win of 2022. If the Briton is unable to win a single race this year, it will be the first time in his career that he has failed to do so. Prospects like these are shocking for any athlete who, just a few months before the start of the season, was at the top of the sport.

As per Andrew Shovlin, the Mercedes veteran was in a bit of a shock regarding his team's sudden fall from grace, making the season all the more challenging. Hamilton's championship-winning mindset eventually kicked in, however, enabling him to once again find a healthy outlook for his team's otherwise woeful season.

Shovlin spoke about the world champion in a press conference ahead of the 2022 F1 Mexican GP, saying:

"Lewis is always working hard, super motivated, and desperate to try to win. And I think, going from the competitive position that we've had in the preceding years, to a really difficult car at the start of the year, was a bit of a shock for him. And also a bit of an adjustment for us to get used to working… effectively racing in the mid-pack for a lot of the early part of the year, having to make a lot of compromises with the car to try to get the best out of it and then learning at the same time."

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Lewis Hamilton plans to extend contract with Mercedes in upcoming months

Lewis Hamilton has said that he is looking to sign an extension with Mercedes in the next two months. The Mercedes driver has been on an open tour interacting with various F1 publications. In an interview with the German publication Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS), one of the key aspects he touched on was his uncertain future, which he wants to resolve.

Lewis Hamilton talked about how the season is coming to an end, making it the right time to ponder his next course of action. The Briton told AMuS:

"The time has come again when you think about how to proceed. You analyse the past year and try to imagine what the next three or five years might look like. Where do I see myself? What do I want to do? What are my goals? Outside of sport, I have entered many businesses with a good chance of success. But I want to keep racing. I love what I do, I've been doing this for 30 years, and I've never felt the need to stop. I want to do even better. That's why I plan to be here for a longer time."

Lewis Hamilton initially seemed to be able to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull in both the US and Mexico, but eventually lost out to the Dutchman's raw speed. With one of Hamilton's favorite tracks on the calendar coming up next - Interlagos - fans of the Briton can keep their fingers crossed for an eventual victory in 2022.