Following two years of brilliant results at Interlagos, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes finally fumbled. The seven-time champion and his teammate George Russell encountered severe tire problems early in the Grand Prix. Russell had to retire, and Hamilton limped home to eighth. For precisely this reason, Hamilton remains skeptical about challenging Red Bull in the coming seasons.
The 38-year-old expressed his displeasure after going through some of the most challenging situations while competing on the track. Given this, according to motorsportweek.com the Briton stated,“ The Red Bull, I think, is so far away. I think they’re probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years.”
The Brazilian circuit wasn’t made for the W-14 yesterday. Tire degradation was a huge problem for the Silver Arrows. This was even more frustrating because Hamilton and Russell, both, got off to a stellar start.
According to Hamilton, the tires were “overheating on the straights,” giving him “no grip in the corners.” This ultimately forced them to pit early after the first stint on soft compounds. Nevertheless, Hamilton was already aware of these problems since he had anticipated that a difficult race following the sprint on Saturday.
What more did Lewis Hamilton say about his handling of the W-14 in Brazil?
Mercedes recently upgraded the W-14 floor at the US Grand Prix, and the changes produced impressive results. The team demonstrated its fast pace in Austin and Mexico.
Unfortunately, the same didn’t quite happen in Sao Paolo. Hamilton claimed that Mercedes’ decision to go with a higher-downforce rear wing angle to make up for its floor did not result in adequate underbody downforce. As a result, the squad also struggled with straight-line speed, which has made them prone to attacks from opponents who were within DRS range.
The tire problems severely hindered Mercedes’ hopes of holding onto their lead over Ferrari, since where Hamilton finished the race at P8, Russell could not contribute owing to his DNF. The 25-year-old did, however, attempt to contribute in the initial stages by promising not to assault his teammate.
Hamilton, however, missed the note because he left his teammate vulnerable as he moved out of the DRS range. Sergio Perez soon overtook Russell, and the 38-year-old was left defenseless to stave off Red Bull, prompting Russell to express unhappiness over the radio. He said, ” Do you want me to race or concede positions? With more management, I will go backwards.”
Hamilton is desperate about wanting a better drive for 2024. However, even if they do make improvements, it seems unlikely that the Silver Arrows will have any influence over Max Verstappen in the upcoming years.
