Lewis Hamilton, who finished a challenging third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in 2022 and 2023, voiced dismay with Mercedes’ response to his issues. He was clearly frustrated when he talked about how the team had not been able to upgrade the car to his choice.
Hamilton stated that Mercedes was neglecting his particular requests for modifications to the car, which was a factor in his lack of wins this season and his third-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton tried to remain optimistic and participate in fruitful team discussions. However, the car’s performance reminded him of last year’s difficulties.
Notwithstanding the losses, Hamilton is optimistic about the future, pointing to the formation of a “North Star” leading the team and his renewed dedication to Mercedes with a two-year contract extension.
Prior to the 2023 season, Lewis Hamilton publicly chastised the Mercedes team for their lack of reaction to his concerns. This year, Hamilton finished behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull, which meant that he had not won a single race for the second straight season.
He reflected on his expectations at the start to BBC Sport and expressed his initial optimism, only to be disappointed as early as the first race in Bahrain.
“I remember it feeling exactly the same,” Lewis Hamilton said, comparing the W14 to last year’s W13.
“And that definitely was not a great feeling. I really had high hopes.”
“I’m sure there were frustrations, because I had asked for certain changes, and they weren’t done. No one knew exactly what the problem was, no one knew how to fix it.
Lewis Hamilton revealed his failed attempts to bring about changes to his struggling car, leading to significant discussions within the Mercedes team.
“Having the experience of the previous year, I just applied myself, in terms of digging down, sitting with the guys. We were having much better meetings.
“I was able to stay a lot more positive during the year and be like: ‘It’s going to be a long season, but let’s not give up. Let’s keep pushing towards getting the maximum out of the car, whatever that may be.’
“I think for this year they thought: ‘The fundamentals are good and we just have to go here.’ And it was not the case. That’s why I was frustrated in February because they hadn’t made the changes I’d asked for.”
