Mark Webber has backed Lewis Hamilton to rediscover his form in due course and has said his ability to use strife as motivation is what makes him arguably the greatest of all time.

The British driver has not had it his way this season in Formula 1, with the Mercedes car really giving him a number of issues thus far.

Indeed, Hamilton admitted at Imola last time out - and only round four of the championship - that his title chances this year are non-existent, and that just underlines how far the team has fallen from its dominance of the last near-decade.

And, when that happens, many are quick to try and pull the great champions down, with some obviously critical of Lewis in particular.

Former F1 driver Mark Webber says that that is way too harsh, though, and the Aussie has backed Hamilton to respond in due course with improved performances, with him saying his ability to stay motivated when the going gets tough is what makes him one of the best ever.

“I think people are being pretty harsh, pretty fast on Lewis,” Webber said at the Monaco ePrix, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

“In Bahrain he drove brilliantly to third place. In Saudi there was a Safety Car involved there with a pit stop

“Same in Melbourne. So I think there have been quite a few points he’s missed through no fault of his own.

IMOLA, ITALY - APRIL 22: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on April 22, 2022 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

“It’s only Imola where he had a tricky qualifying and race. Of course, everyone’s forgetting how the other points were lost through no fault of his own.

“Never, ever underestimate an organisation like those guys. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the next few weeks go.

“Lewis is at his most dangerous with his back against the wall. He’s never short of motivation – that’s why he’s probably the greatest of all time.”