Lewis Hamilton secured a fantastic podium with second place in the 2023 Australian GP. However, the Mercedes driver struggled to find the initial two races of the season.
The frustration to perform and find a competitive pace frustrated the driver. The Briton, who wanted to fight for his 8th world championship had realized that the Silver Arrows were far from the pace of Red Bull.
In retaliation, the 7x world champion claimed Mercedes refused to seek his advice during the development of the W14. Hamilton stated that he does not feel connected with the car at all, and it is the first time the Briton has felt this way in his 17 years in the sport.
“I know what a car need needs. I know what a car doesn’t need”
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes did not listen to his concerns over their 2023 car 👇 pic.twitter.com/7RluF3OtDN
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) March 9, 2023
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that the Briton did suggest an alternative approach during the initial stages of the car’s development. Yet, the team chose to override their experienced driver’s observations.
Toto Wolff claims Lewis Hamilton was right
Hamilton claims that the W14 is extremely uncomfortable and unstable to drive. Hamilton prefers to drive a car with more oversteer. Yet, the Mercedes driver stated that the car is not like any other car he has driven before.
The 7x champion has struggled with the car’s handling and lack of downforce. Partly, the zero-side pod design of the W14 and the cockpit being too close to the front wheels are to blame.
Toto Wolff revealed that Lewis Hamilton was skeptical about this idea. He said, “Lewis had a different idea. But in the end, we decided together to pursue this concept, encouraged by the good results at the end of 2022.”
We’re feeling that energy, @LewisHamilton. ⚡️
pic.twitter.com/7JJesGbkTh— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 3, 2023
Wolff claims Mercedes tried everything to make their concept work. The Mercedes boss asserts the team has dropped this approach after the result in Australia. Instead, Mercedes will follow a concept closer to that of Aston Martin and Red Bull.
Wolff reasoned, “We aim to make the right decisions for the long term. For now, we’ll run with the best possible package we can handle.”
Mercedes can do better than 2nd place says Wolff
Both Lewis Hamilton and Goerge Russell greatly impressed fans with their performances in Australia. A week prior, both drivers complained that their car was not up to the mark. However, the Mercedes duo displayed a great fight in Melbourne.
Russell and Hamilton qualified P2 and P3, ahead of the Ferraris and Aston Martin. Russell managed to steal the lead from polesitter Max Verstappen at the start. This was followed by the 7x world champion who overtake the Dutchman.
Toto Wolff claims he expected Mercedes to push for the podium with their newly introduced upgrades. He said, “I could tell you that we expected it but it’s not like that. The reality is that we are not yet where we would like to be.”
Lewis Hamilton is the first driver in F1 history to score a podium in 17 consecutive seasons 🏆👏
Which of his 192 podiums is your favourite? 💬 pic.twitter.com/k8Uv0bb11o— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) April 6, 2023
Had it not been for Russell’s engine issue or the numerous restarts, the Silver Arrow would have enjoyed a better outing. The Austrian states that the team’s current focus is on improving the car’s downforce and taking the fight to Red Bull.
Wolff said, “The goal is to fight with Red Bull, but the second and third positions on the grid are certainly more than we expected before this weekend.”
Hamilton still feels uncomfortable driving the car. Yet, the driver has praised the team’s improvements. He claims the gap to Red Bull is still huge, however, it’s plausible for Mercedes to jump ahead of Aston Martin in the standings.
