Lewis Hamilton sacrificed his position in the standings to focus on his race pace in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion had a disappointing qualifying experience on the night of March 1st. Unlike his teammate, who finished third, Hamilton only managed ninth place on the grid.

Hamilton explained that he made changes to the setup of his Mercedes Formula 1 car, which ended up affecting his performance in qualifying. He was not satisfied with his race pace and hoped the adjustments would improve it. When asked about the issues with the bottom of his car, Hamilton attributed it to a challenging qualifying session. Despite his disappointment, he remains confident in Mercedes’ chances and believes the new W15 is a significant improvement.

The news that Hamilton could move to Ferrari in 2025 motivated the Mercedes team boss to ensure his success while still with the team. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell revealed that the new W15 was designed with Hamilton’s needs in mind. However, there is a twist in the story. While the team wants Hamilton to win another championship, team boss Toto Wolff jokingly expressed his desire for Hamilton to regret leaving the team. He acknowledged that Hamilton deserves the victory, but also highlighted the advantage Mercedes has given him with the fastest car.

Although Wolff’s comments were made in a joking tone, they reflect his persistent bitterness towards Hamilton’s possible move. Internally, he may secretly hope that Hamilton regrets his decision if he wins an eighth world championship with Mercedes but fails to achieve the same success with Ferrari.