Hamilton scrutinised for Mercedes talks: “You can’t criticise and be supportive”

The limitations of the W14 were laid bare at the season-opening Bahrain GP and, although Mercedes will bring minor upgrades to this weekend’s F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, they have already ruled themselves out of fighting for the 2023 championship.

Hamilton issued a team radio message after a drab race two weeks ago to cajole his troops, but later claimed he had warned his team that the car development wasn’t right.

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Ex-F1 driver Hill told the F1 Nation that Hamilton’s feedback hasn’t necessarily been helpful: “Sometimes the people working for the teams get abused on social media. In some misguided people’s minds, they are responsible for not giving Hamilton the car he wants. So it’s a blessing and a curse to have a driver as famous as Hamilton - people are loyal to him, but not the team.

“I imagine there has been a lot of stress.

“Mixed messages - after the race he said ‘we’ve got work to do but I am supportive’. “Then he said ‘I did warn them, I told them I didn’t like the car!’

“Well, you can’t criticise and be 100% supportive.

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“It is obviously constructive criticism but he is disappointed.

“With the cost cap, what are the limitations?

“Even if they know the answer, is it a new car? A redesigned car?”

Hamilton’s future has also been called into question amid a second season of Mercedes performing below-par.

Now aged 38, he is yet to pen a contract that will commit him to Mercedes beyond the end of this season and some F1 pundits and fans think he could consider a switch to rivals Ferrari.

Hill previously claimed that Hamilton had delayed signing a new contract with Mercedes while he waited to discover the 2023 car’s competitiveness, but that accusation was emphatically denied.