Although the Mercedes team struggled with a sluggish car throughout the first half of the season, Lewis Hamilton‘s steady performances put them in a position to challenge Sergio Perez for second place in the driver’s title. Unfortunately, failures in Austin and Brazil turned out to be roadblocks for the seven-time champion’s P2 ambitions. Considering this, Hamilton has now clarified Mercedes’ 2024 goal in a recent pre-race interview.
According to the 38-year-old, the squad has boosted its focus since their sole victory at the Brazilian track last year. Hamilton stated, as reported by @JunaidSamodien,” I don’t think they need a reminder of the hard work that needs to be done. I think last year after that win, whilst it was a good kick for the team that made them hopeful.”
Mercedes had an uphill battle in the first half of 2023 until Lewis Hamilton’s criticism prompted an ideal tweak. Russell and Hamilton then worked tirelessly to secure a firm hold on P2 in the constructors’ rankings. However, as the season progressed, the German manufacturers had misfortunes that let Ferrari and McLaren catch them. As a result, Mercedes currently finds itself locked in a fierce competition for the second position with Ferrari, holding a narrow 20-point lead.
🎙| Lewis “Honestly it really doesn’t make any difference if I’m 2nd or 3rd. I think we’ve still had an amazing year, given the car that we’ve had. [Grateful for] knocking on the door of the most dominant car probably of our era.” 🔥👊#LasVegasGP 🇺🇲pic.twitter.com/NbgTR0VvVp
— Hamilton Insights (@LH44_insights) November 16, 2023
The narrative is much more interesting in relation to the driver’s title. Following a run of bad luck, Hamilton, who had previously closed the gap with Perez, now lags him by 32 points. Acknowledging this challenge in a pre-race interview, Hamilton expressed the uphill task of attempting to reduce the gap with Checo in the last two races. However, while wrapping up he emphasized the fact that finishing P2 isn’t his goal. He said, ” Honestly, it really doesn’t make any difference if I’m 2nd or 3rd.”
What are Lewis Hamilton and co’s predictions for the Las Vegas GP following the disappointment in Brazil?
After winning in Mexico, Lewis Hamilton and the team wanted to build on it again in Brazil. Unfortunately, the Silver Arrows encountered unanticipated and serious tire degradation problems at Interlagos with the W-14, prompting Mercedes’ head, Toto Wolff, to label the weekend to be his worst in Formula One. However, in spite of this setback, Toto Wolff recently admitted to identifying the setup blunder in an interview. Nevertheless, even after realizing the error, the team boss is still hesitant about the upcoming Las Vegas weekend.
With P2 in the championship still up for grabs, the team is working hard to prepare for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and hopes to do well on the new street layout. Considering this, Wolff was confident, pointing out that even with little knowledge, they had made extensive preparations. Interestingly, in an exclusive conversation with Skysports News, Hamilton shared Wolff’s thoughts, claiming a thorough comprehension of the difficulties at Interlagos.
However, what intrigued the fans more was his acknowledgment that he was still unsure of how the W-14 would perform in Las Vegas. While wrapping up Hamilton underscored the W-14’s shortcomings as a race-winning contender. He said, “It’s still not a world championship-winning car and I don’t even think it’s probably a race-winning car still. That’s what we’re going to have to work on for next year.”
