Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly expressed his concerns about how Red Bull has the luxury of focusing on next year’s car ahead of all their rivals because of the kind of dominance they have had so far this season. In stark contrast, most of Red Bull’s rivals such as Mercedes and Ferrari, not only need to catch up to the Milton Keynes outfit but also need to ensure that they try their best to finish second in the championship this season. Since the Silver Arrows only have a 24-point advantage over third-placed Ferrari at the moment, they cannot afford to focus on next year’s car just yet. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has recently stated (as quoted by motorsport.com) that he will put this year’s car in the bin once it is fast enough.
As for Red Bull, it is also pertinent to note that the team, anyway cannot bring many more upgrades this season as they have a short wind tunnel time because of their cost cap penalty. Hence, with the Milton Keynes outfit almost having wrapped up the title this season, they have more of an incentive to put their feet off the gas, unlike the likes of Mercedes.
Toto Wolff assures Mercedes fans of being faster in 2024
In his most recent interview, Toto Wolff explained how Mercedes are committed to producing a faster car for next season. He then added how the team will take the learnings from this season to improve on their car for 2024.
As quoted by motorsport.com, the Austrian said, “We will throw this one in the bin when it’s really fast and then embark on a new journey. I think we have encouraging signs from the tunnel of a balanced car that’s going to be more together, and we have answers to our questions. So, we are really looking at the results with an encouraging perspective“.
Even though the 51-year-old believes that the Silver Arrows are discovering answers to their problems, Lewis Hamilton still seems to have doubt about his side’s future prospects. The 38-year-old believes that it is unlikely that Red Bull’s domination will end anytime soon.
Hamilton expects Red Bull to come back stronger after Singapore GP
In the Singapore Grand Prix post-race press conference, Lewis Hamilton was asked if Red Bull’s failure to win at Marina Bay could mean that their dominance is coming to an end. In reply, the Briton stated (as quoted by fia.com), “They are so clear ahead that maybe they’re developing their car less and we are still pushing to develop our current one“.
Hamilton is not the only driver who believes that Red Bull’s domination is likely to continue in the future, as Carlos Sainz also had similar remarks. During the same post-race press conference, the Spaniard explained how it will be extremely difficult for any side to beat the Milton Keynes outfit in the near future.
However, he did make it clear that his side are trying their best to catch up to Red Bull as quickly as possible. Hence, 2024 could produce more tight battles for the win if the rest of the teams manage to catch up to Red Bull.
