Before 2022, the seven-time world champion had never endured a whole season without winning at least one race. He has now experienced two full years in a row without standing on the top step of an F1 podium.

Mercedes simply haven’t been able to give him a quick enough car in that time. Rivals Red Bull adapted much more quickly to design rule changes that came into force in 2022 and have left everyone else in their dust.

Hamilton’s team is going back to basics in 2024. Team principal Toto Wolff has already promised fans a near-total redesign for the W15 which, Mercedes hope, will push the 39-year-old and team-mate George Russell closer to the front of the grid.

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Former F1 racer Christijan Albers has seen signs of Hamilton becoming increasingly irked by the situations he finds himself in. But the former Minardi and Spyker driver believes the Brit still has the quality to challenge for wins and the title if given the machinery capable of doing so.

“For the neutral observer, I hope that Mercedes will come with a better car in 2024,” he wrote in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “Because if you look purely at the qualities of the current drivers, I think Lewis Hamilton is the only one who can come close to [Max] Verstappen.

“I am mainly talking about the quality of being able to perform consistently and be very stable in lap times during a race. Just like Verstappen, Hamilton is someone who can manage his tyres wonderfully. Assessing certain situations, feeling the rubber – in that respect, they are alone.

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“Hamilton looked quite frustrated at the end of the [2023] season. I can imagine that too. Sure, he’s had years where he beat everyone, but has now gone two full seasons without a win – that’s going to eat at you.

“He wants more and more, but struggles with the fact that the Mercedes is not going faster. Then at the end of the year, you are exhausted and tired. He hasn’t had that boost that you need for a while.”

Despite enduring a difficult time across 2023, Hamilton still managed third in the drivers’ championship and vowed to fans he would not give up in a defiant end-of-season message. “I promise you, getting [back to the front] will be exhilarating, and seasons like this will make it all the more satisfying when we do,” he declared.