Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin admitted the team launching their “third bad car in a row” in the W15 had been “difficult” for Lewis Hamilton, given he is “born to win races”.

Hamilton ended a 56-race wait for a victory at Silverstone last time out, after which he admitted to having doubts over whether he would be able to get back on the top step again in an emotional win in front of his home crowd.

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton self-doubt ‘inevitable’ after run of uncompetitive cars
Mercedes struggled to adapt to the ground effect regulations of 2022, with their win at Interlagos that season through George Russell their only one in Formula 1’s new era until Russell took victory at Austria a fortnight ago, capitalising as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided to take an unlikely win.
For Hamilton at the British Grand Prix, Mercedes appeared more competitive all weekend, locking out the front row before Russell had to retire with a suspected water system issue.

In changing conditions, however, Shovlin described that victory as “classic Lewis” in how he took the chequered flag first, but given it had been the longest barren period of his career between wins, he was asked whether self doubt had crept in among the seven-time World Champion in the intervening period.

He explained that is only a natural thing to happen when the team cannot fight at the front regularly, especially with the W15 having started life this season off the pace from its rivals.

“I mean, it’s inevitable, and I think the whole team has had a period of that,” Shovlin told the F1 Nation podcast when asked if he had seen any self doubt from Hamilton in the period since his last victory.