Mercedes made another dismal start to the season in Bahrain as Hamilton lagged over 50 seconds behind Red Bull’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen on his way to finishing fifth, two places ahead of teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell. 

T🐼he seven-time world champion complained before the race that Me♚rcedes were a “long way off” fighting at the front, while he also raised doubts over the team’s car concept for 2023. 

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff conceded in Bahrain that the once-do🦋minant Silver🌳 Arrows would have to abandon their unique ‘zero sidepod’ concept in order to get back to winning ways. 

Following F1 2023’s curtain raiser, Hamilton claimed Mercedes ignored him over the development of their W14 challenger after he raised “issues” about the team’s troubled predece𓆏ssor. 

Asked if he was surprisedꦦ that Hamilton called out the team publicly, Brundle told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast: “A little bit. But quite clearly Lewis feels he is not getting enough traction just chatting to them.

“He obviously feels they are not paying attention and he has had to go public with that. It is highly unusual bec🌳ause he is always the ultimate team player really. 

“A driver like Lewis is not going to want to go somewhere else in a hurry and it’s not a tantrum. He’s obviously felt the need to💖 go public with something because he felt he wasn't being listened 𒆙to closely enough within the team.

“Also I think it’s the start of a very, very long season and aꦛfter the race in Bahrain there were a lot of v♌ery disappointed drivers. The emotions, the sheer frustration and disappointments I think were pouring out because they realised Red Bull were in a different race basically.”

Brundle added: “I don’t think Lewis is🅷 in any different position to say Lando or Charles at Ferrari of stamping their feet a little bit and saying: ‘hang on, what are you doing about this?🤪 

“‘Tell me what we’re doing in terms of updates,ಌ in terms of personnel, in terms of moving this game for❀ward because it looks an awful lot like like last year at the moment’. 

“I don’t think it’s all about ‘I’m leaving, I’m out of here’. Sometimes you have just got to stand up and go ‘this is not right’.”&nb🌳sp;

However, Brundle suggested Hamilton’s criticism could be a “bi💟t of game-play” amid negotiations with Mercedes over a contract extension.&🌌nbsp;

“We have to remember Lewis is in the💦 middle of a ne𒅌gotiation as well,” Brundle said. 

“I’m 100 percent certain Lewis would always 🧔follow the performance and not the money, but you aren’t going to turn down a big♔ pay cheque if you can get it as well. 

“There might be some pressure at Mercedes-Benz to reduce his pay, as it ཧwere. So there’s a bit of negotiation and a bit of game-play in this as well.💟” 

Brundle said he also believes Hamilton will be 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:tempted♍ to try and emulate Michael Schumacher by joining Ferrari and help turn F1’s most famous team b𒐪ack into winners.