London, Mar 1 : In a veiled attack on his former employers, Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton has claimed that unlike McLaren, he felt more appreciated at his new employers Mercedes.

The 2008 world champion said that the focus on the driver and his performance and being ready for the job at hand is better at Mercedes than at McLaren, the Telegraph reports.

Although Hamilton said that Mercedes will have to struggle to contend for the 2013 championship, he said that he is happy with the environment and the team culture at the club, which he said is different from the intense culture of precision at McLaren.

Praising his new team at Mercedes, Hamilton said that it has been working hard to communicate with him and is also making sure that Mercedes is ready for the first race of the season in Australia.

Hamilton further said that he is developing both as an individual and a driver at Mercedes, adding that after joining the Brackley-based team, he has been gifted with more time for his personal life. (ANI)