'Hamilton is the benchmark, I'm not worried' - ex driver certain of a Lewis comeback

• Ex-Formula 1 driver Marc Surer believes Lewis Hamilton needs to adapt to driving a bad car again.

• The nine-point deficit between Hamilton and George Russell is also no reason for Mercedes to write him off.

• Surer says Hamilton will bounce back in 2022.

• For more motoring stories, visit Wheels24

Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer thinks Lewis Hamilton may be struggling more than other drivers this season because he is not used to facing problems with his car, such as porpoising.

Porpoising, which refers to the bouncing motion of the car on its suspension seen mainly on the straights, has been a thorn in the side of several drivers this season, returning to cars that rely on ground-effect aerodynamics in 2022.

Mercedes have struggled as much as any team with the problem, although even Charles Leclerc has had to deal with it in his Ferrari - though he said recently he was not as sensitive to it as others.

Speaking to Formel1.de, Surer, who now works as a pundit, said Hamilton is struggling more with porpoising because "he has only driven perfect cars for the last few years; he's spoiled".

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'No longer used to it'

It may also be a reason why Hamilton's teammate Russell is seemingly coping better with the problem, as prior to 2022, he had to "beat the Williams around the track, which was not perfect at all," Surer said. "Russell is used to driving fast with a bad car. Lewis is no longer used to that."

At the same time, Surer said Russell's nine-point advantage over Hamilton in the standings is not a true reflection of the pair's relative ability.

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