“She’s Still So Difficult to Drive”: Lewis Hamilton Confession on ‘Faster W14’ Prompted Toto Wolff to Make Crucial 2024 Enquiry

At the 2023 US Grand Prix, Mercedes introduced it’s final upgrade of this season. And it was a significant one. The Silver Arrows brought an updated floor to the Circuit of the Americas. If not for the disqualification for a worn plank at the race, Lewis Hamilton would’ve earned silver for two consecutive race weekends, after his Mexican heroics last Sunday. Naturally, the upgrade package has unlocked more pace from the W14. However, according to the 7x champion, it is still a relative nightmare to drive.

On the back of Hamilton’s comments, team principal, Toto Wolff was prompted to make an urgent enquiry. Despite the W14 now being a more pacier car than it’s older iteration, the Austrian had to ensure that the team was heading in the right direction for the future.

As per reports on X, Wolff was quoted as revealing, “Lewis said to me yesterday she’s still so difficult to drive although she’s faster. So, I think for us it was important to see whether directionally we were going in the right direction also for next year and it seems to be on the right path.”

Wolff: Lewis said to me yesterday she’s still so difficult to drive although she’s faster. So, I think for us it was important to see whether directionally we were going in the right direction also for next year and it seems to be on the right path.

Source: @PitDebrief

— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 31, 2023

Short-lived success, however, has become an Achilles’ heel for the Brackley-based team. Exactly a year ago, George Russell stole a shock victory from the jaws of Red Bull and Ferrari at the 2023 Sao Paulo GP. The Silver Arrows then proceeded into a fool’s paradise.

That win led them to believe that their faulty ‘zero-pods‘ concept was indeed the right way forward. Wolff was even quoted, on the eve of the 2023 season, by RacingNews365.com as claiming, “I think it’s important to be bold in this sport, and I’m still proud of the solutions that were put on the car last year. Our sidepod design is not something that we believe was fundamentally the reason why we didn’t perform.” 

Lewis Hamilton and Co. go back to basics but is that enough?

In hindsight, Wolff would admit to his folly. That being said, the start of the 2023 season was difficult to digest for the Silver Arrows. Their customer team, Aston Martin jumped them into 2nd in the Constructors’ championship.

It wasn’t until the 2023 Monaco GP that they admitted their mistake and reverted to a more conventional sidepod design. However, they were a day late and a dollar short in terms of this year’s developmental race.

Imagine where Mercedes could have been if they hadn’t chosen the zero-pods concept from 2021.

But also, if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bike.

— Farinho (@Farinho_10) September 16, 2023

Since they ditched the ‘zero-pods‘, the team has seen a stark revival in their fortunes on track. With the 2022 regulations reset now settling in, has Mercedes handed themselves a handicap in terms of overall performance? Or can Monaco ’23 make amends for mistakes of the past and allow them to fight for championships again in 2024? Well, only time will tell.