Double World Champion Mika Häkkinen has praised Mercedes for its approach during its title-winning 2017 campaign, and lauded Lewis Hamilton’s motivation.
Mercedes, which dominated from 2014-16, was joined by Ferrari at the front of the grid under revised regulations, before pulling clear across the second half of the campaign, as it clinched its fourth straight Constructors' crown.
In a similar vein, Hamilton scrapped with Sebastian Vettel, prior to hitting form, as his rival encountered a series of incidents and reliability setbacks, enabling the Briton to wrap up a fourth title in Mexico.
Häkkinen believes Mercedes displayed commendable team work in 2017, and acknowledged Hamilton’s desire to keep collecting victories and titles.
“Some people think the turning point in Lewis’ season came after the summer break, when he won three Grands Prix in a row at Spa, Monza and Singapore,” Häkkinen wrote in his Unibet blog.
“Gor me his dominant win at home in Silverstone was the trigger.
“Behind him the Mercedes team had been working very hard to understand this year’s car, and the best way to get the most from the new regulations.
“Mercedes worked hard to get the most of their ‘diva’, and this is where the team work became so important.
“You could even see the level of team work at Mercedes between their drivers.
“In Hungary, Valtteri handed his race position over to Lewis, and when Lewis was not able to do anything about Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari in second place, he handed it back to Valtteri again.
“That showed great maturity and professionalism from the drivers and the team management.”
Häkkinen added that it was “critical” Hamilton retained his desire to chase honours, having himself retired just two years after taking the second of his titles.
“Lewis’ achievement in winning four World Championship titles is impressive, and you can see that he has kept the hunger alive,” he said. “That is critical.
“When I won both my World Championships in 1998 and 1999 I went into 2000 absolutely determined to win a third title, but it was not to be.
“After that year, when I felt my energy levels drop a little, it was not long before I retired. Some drivers are happy with one title, others need to keep going.
“Michael Schumacher was able to push himself year after year, but there are not many who can sustain that level of motivation.”
