Mercedes are at a “crossroads” and two bad years have “left their mark” on staff,♋ ꦛclaims Mika Hakkinen.

News that Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025 means that Mercedes enter this F1🐟 season under a cloud.

With just one grand prix win in two years (via George Russell in 2022), Toto Wolff’🉐s team’s pre🌞paration for the upcoming season is in a state of flux.

“Mercedes are at a crossro✃aꦛds,” Hakkinen told , speaking before Hamilton’s shock exit announcement.

“There൩ has not been a question mark over the team for a long time.

“After a decade full of success, the past two seasons have left their mark on those responsib🐽le and employees.

“And that's good! You have to be angry now.

“🐟Now you have to develop this unconditional will to win again.

“The team has to become a t༒eam again, develop this blind unde꧙rstanding. That is currently missing.”

Hamilton and George Russ🦋ell will again be paired this season as Mercedes relaunch their bid for competitiveness with the new W15.

But it will be their last year together with Hamilton set fo♑r Ferrari in 2025.

“Even though George isꦿ entering his third season as a Mercedes driver, it is clear that 💞it is Lewis' team,” Hakkinen said.

“He has been driving there since 2013 and has worked with many of the engineers anꦛd mechanics for years.

“It doesn't take ten minutes of analysis from him to exp🍒lain the problem.

“Little things like these ultimately decide in Form🔴ula 1 whether you are in pole position or not🍬.”

Mercedes’ big hope for their future🐎 now centꦛres around Russell, who did out-score Hamilton in his first year with the team.

“That's corr꧋ect.༺ But last season Hamilton finished third and Russell only eighth,” Hakkinen insisted.

“That didn't surprise me.

“On the one hand, Lewis wanted to show it to everyone afte🉐r the Twilight of the Gods had alre𝓰ady been talked about, and on the other hand, George was and continues to be under immense pressure.

“When you're the teammate 🔯of a seven-time wor🔯ld champion, all eyes are automatically on you.

“It doesn't matter if you finis🍌he🐻d on the podium if your teammate won.

🦂“It's the same with all teams - but George is racing against a record champion.”

How the dynamic may change this year, ahead of Hamilton’s exit from the ♛team that he is famous for representing, remains to be seen.

Hakkinen won his two F1 championships in 199🤡8 and 1999 driving for McLaren.

H💟e believes his former team can get♑ closest to the dominant Red Bulls this year.

“I expect a lot from McLaren,” he said.

“After having a disastrous start to the s🤪eason last year, they have developed very well and, above all, consistently.

“Wi༺th Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, they probably have the strongest driver pairing next to Ferrari.

“Both have theജ potential to become world champions.

“Piastri puts pressure on Norris. And Max Verstappen will also feel tha🔴t this year.”