‘Frustrated’ Lewis Hamilton Reveals Mercedes Was Forced to Remove Big Chunk of Downforce and Lost Performance

Lewis Hamilton, once F1’s most dominant driver, hasn’t won a race in over two years now, largely owing to Mercedes’ struggles on the track since the regulation changes of 2022. Now, on the brink of his move to Ferrari, a frustrated Hamilton reveals how the Silver Arrows had tremendous potential when the changes first set in, but the team couldn’t capitalize on it.

One of the major issues Hamilton faced in 2022 was ‘porpoising’ or the bouncing of cars while drivers went flat out on the long straights. It was uncomfortable, affected the speed, and limited their aerodynamic performance, and the latter, according to Hamilton, was intentionally added.

As reported by Motorsport Week, Hamilton revealed that they had to take out 90 points of downforce before the 2022 season opener. This was done to limit the porpoising, which would have been worse otherwise.

“So we lost a huge amount of performance and every time we add more or try and add it back then, then the thing would bounce again. So every time we take one or two steps forward, it’d take five back. It’s been hugely frustrating, I think for the engineers,” he explained.

The battle of the Brits at Mercedes in 2022! ⚔️#F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/0O9mE4630G

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 21, 2022

Mercedes overcame the porpoising issue gradually. But as Hamilton revealed, it came at a cost. Mercedes struggled throughout the 2022 season, and even though George Russell won a race (in Sao Paolo), it set them up for failure in the coming campaigns as well.

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continue

Lewis Hamilton hasn’t been a happy figure at Mercedes over the last two years despite it being the team that helped him win six world championships. In the same report published by Motorsport Week, Hamilton discussed how the Mercedes engineers continue to inspire him because of their attitude of not giving up.

“Engine failure, engine failure”

A nightmare end to Lewis Hamilton’s Australian Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/akWYM2pIhX

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 24, 2024

Still, the team keeps languishing in the midfield. Meanwhile, rivals Ferrari and McLaren are seemingly making bigger strides to close the gap to Red Bull. Three races into the 2024 season, Hamilton sits in P10 with just eight points to his name, including one DNF due to engine failure in Melbourne.

Now, in the twilight of his career, Hamilton feels that it is time to move on from the Brackley-based outfit. Ahead of the season, he announced that he will join Ferrari, completing his dream of driving for the Maranello-based outfit. This move will perhaps also present him with a better opportunity to compete for his eighth world title.