Lewis Hamilton has asserted that McLaren’s status as genuine race winners in Formula 1 demonstrates that the engine is “not the problem” with Mercedes’ struggles.
McLaren began last term battling to score points with an underdeveloped car, but mid-season updates saw the team emerge as Red Bull’s most consistent contender.
The Woking-based squad has built on that remarkable turnaround in 2024 with an upgrade package in Miami inspiring Lando Norris to his maiden F1 victory in Miami.
However, Mercedes has been unable to match McLaren and Ferrari’s strides to close the gap on Red Bull, despite boasting renewed optimism over its revamped W15.
Hamilton believes that McLaren’s continued progress as a Mercedes customer team proves that the German marque’s powertrain is still among the strongest around.
Asked how encouraging it was to see McLaren’s recent success, Hamilton said: “I think we’ve always known that the engine’s not the problem. So the engine’s great.
“I think the guys have continued to do an amazing job in terms of developing that technology.
“And with the hybrid area, we have been right at the top in terms of our development rate and performance and reliability. So that hasn’t ever been an issue.
“So anyone buying our engines knows what they’re getting.
“But we know on the car side, we haven’t done the best of jobs in the last couple of years and we’re working as hard as we can to rectify that.”
Hamilton graduated into F1 with McLaren in 2008 and starred in his rookie season alongside reigning champion Fernando Alonso to come close to the championship.
The Briton would avenge that missed chance in his sophomore campaign, but McLaren was unable to sustain a title challenge thereafter and Hamilton exited in 2012.
McLaren would endure a period in the doldrums with a single win coming up until Norris’ Miami breakthrough, but Hamilton is proud to see his ex-team back at the top.
“I think he [Norris] is doing a great job,” Hamilton added in Monaco last week. “Oscar [Piastri] is also doing a really great job as well.
“He’s just been unlucky in the last couple of races. So excited to see both of them, and how they both progress, but mostly also for McLaren, to see them back up there.
“It warms my heart because I was there for such a long time [from 2007 to 2012] and they gave me my break. So it’s cool.
“I hope we can get closer as well, I think they [McLaren] also have just shown that you can close the gap and you can catch up if the job’s done right. It’s inspired us all to get on it.”
