Did Hamilton's dip in form start at Mercedes not Ferrari?

While German-language commentators have pointed out Hamilton's shortcomings at Ferrari, their British colleagues have so far turned a polite blind eye to the 40-year-old's troubles. But the tide is turning as reality sinks in.

One of the big talking points ahead of Miami is inevitably Hamilton's quandary five Grands Prix into his Ferrari career. He admitted that he is unsure when he will come to grips with Ferrari's ways and the SF-21, after a decade of doing Formula 1 the Mercedes way.

However, Johnny Herbert believes that nothing would have changed had Hamilton stayed at Mercedes, but acknowledges he needed a new start at Ferrari.

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, asked about the Hamilton situation, Herbert ventured:"Last season, the Mercedes was so inconsistent - sometimes it could win races, then struggle to get anywhere near the podium. Lewis Hamilton, I felt, was also losing motivation at the team and was frustrated.

"The one who always found motivation was Ayrton Senna. He would come back later than most for testing and then find himself winning championships. Lewis needed that refresh at Ferrari," reckoned the former Grand Prix and Le Mans winner, ex-FIA Steward turned pundit.

Herbert added: "After a difficult race in Australia, Hamilton's season at Ferrari looked really impressive and promising in China with the Sprint win, but since then, it's not really clicked. Charles Leclerc is having a better, more consistent season with some strong performances at the moment.

"The Ferrari has only just made it on the podium, but it's not in bad shape. They’re the fourth- or third-best team. They need to make a jump to the next level to compete with McLaren and Red Bull. Lewis will need to be at his best to beat Charles this season - the pressure is on," warned Herbert.

It can be said that all newcomers to F1 teams this year - not only F1 rookies but veterans like Carlos Sainz at Williams and Esteban Ocon at Haas - have taken time to adjust. Ditto Hamilton.

Herbert continued: "There is an element of settling in for Hamilton, but I thought he would have gotten past that by now and shown he's quicker than Charles Leclerc. It just hasn't happened yet. Leclerc came into Ferrari and took the team away from Sebastian Vettel.

"Hamilton hasn't quite done that yet, and Leclerc is still controlling the situation with his consistency and speed. Lewis is consistently eighth or ninth at the moment.

"I think if Hamilton had stayed at Mercedes, George Russell would be making it hard for him - as Leclerc is right now. The move to Ferrari was the correct decision for a new start, but will we see the Lewis of old? That’s in his hands," concluded Herbert.