F1: Steiner gives Lewis Hamilton a reality chack

The Brit has built up a monstrous Drivers’ Championship haul with Mercedes, who won eight team titles on the bounce between 2014 and 2021.

But Mercedes are no longer the force they were, leaving Hamilton stranded on seven world titles as he approaches the end of his career.

“Your team cannot always just win,” Steiner told the Daily Mail. “It’s human. It’s a competition. Formula One is not Formula Mercedes! Mercedes had eight good years and nothing is forever, as we all know.

“Being surprised or not accepting that you go backwards is something I find very strange.

“You need to regroup and try again. But you cannot expect or demand to be [the best]… because we won it eight times now we are going to win it nine times. No.

“And the same for Lewis. You spent eight years in the best or one of the best cars and you won championships. You cannot always win, and also you lost the championship once to your team-mate as well in that time. Never forget that one. Your team cannot always win.”