Lewis Hamilton compares the “stiff” Mercedes W13 to the W12 after an uncomfortable lap around the bumpy track surface at COTA.
Lewis Hamilton has not enjoyed a good season so far with Mercedes. The 103-GP winning driver is yet to have claimed a race win this season and has struggled with the 2022 Mercedes W13.
The W13 had a difficult start, having suffered from Porpoising caused by the ground effect of the 2022 cars. The cars were difficult to drive and both Hamilton and Russell found it difficult to tame their machinery.
Hamilton has claimed a race win in every F1 season he has raced in since his debut in 2007. But the Briton has labelled the W13 as the worst car of his F1 career in terms of drivability.
Added to that, the Circuit of the Americas is labelled as the bumpiest race track of the F1 calendar. The bumps are caused due to the instability of the subsoil on which the circuit is built.
Drivers have complained about the uncomfortable ride on the circuit for years. This prompted COTA to resurface the track ahead of the 2022 US Grand Prix.
But the new regulations cars have not adjusted to the bumpy track of the track. And Lewis Hamilton has described his experience driving in the circuit with the W13 as “Horrible.”
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Lewis Hamilton compares W12 and W13
Lewis Hamilton completed 20 laps in FP1 setting the 3rd fastest time of the session. But the Briton only ranked P8 after completing 26 laps in FP2 as Pirrelli tested the 2023 F1 tyres.
Lewis did not enjoy the outing in COTA and complained about the bumpy track of the circuit. And he made a comparison showing the fall in performance compared to last year’s car.
He said, “I came here after Montreal and I drove last year’s car, and it was so good. I remember just getting out and just beaming from ear to ear because it was so smooth. It had good downforce and good power.”
He adds, “Obviously this year we lost a bit of power with the biofuels and the car is so stiff. Now coming to drive the car. Luckily I don’t actually have many feelings, because if I did, they would have all come out this year for sure.”
Hamilton is clearly frustrated with the W13 that has not allowed him to win a race yet. He summed it up by saying, “It’s just so bumpy and I’m really, really praying for a non-bumpy car next year.”
Lewis Hamilton grateful for the new upgrades
Mercedes introduced several new upgrades for the US GP in search of their first race win in 2022. They include a new Front wing which features certain winglets aimed at improving airflow.
There are some reports suggesting the winglets on the Front wing are not compliant with the regulations. However, Mercedes decided not to run it as they only had one wing and did not have any spares.
The Frint wing will be ready for the upcoming race in Mexico. But Lewis Hamilton says he is “super grateful” to the entire Mercedes team for working to improve the car’s performance.
He said, “I kept the car in one piece today which is good. And definitely felt improvements in the car. Obviously, FP2 was a bit of a waste in terms of figuring out performance, but P1 was feeling quite good.”
Hamilton does not feel the wing will bring a huge difference and allow the team in winning their first race. The car is still far off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari according to the Briton. But it is definitely a step in the right direction.
