Lewis Hamilton claims 2024 F1 cars on ‘knife edge’ in terms of set-up

Lewis Hamilton admitted that Mercedes needed to fine tune the car set-up to get the most out of the W15.

Lewis Hamilton claims 2024 F1 cars on ‘knife edge’ in terms of set-up

Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

Lewis Hamilton secured P3 in recent Spanish GP behind race-winner Max Verstappen and second-placed Lando Norris This was Hamilton’s first podium of the season. The Briton is focused on the upcoming weekend in Austria.

The Austrian GP features season’s 11th race and includes third sprint race. Lewis Hamilton said that Sprint weekends provide more chances to drivers to enjoy racing and push the car to it’s maximum performance. He explained, drivers can take risks and push their car to the limits, as those races allow for a more aggressive and dynamic driving style. The sprint races adds variety and challenges, making the whole weekend more engaging for both drivers and the fans. Hamilton said he’s going to take full advantage of Sprint to explore the car’s capabilities and enjoy racing.

Weekends where you’ve got the sprint race gives you a few more opportunities to have a bit of fun and put the car on the limit.
Lewis Hamilton said
YouTube video

Lewis Hamilton pointed out, the car’s they’re using at this time are very delicate and required precise handling. He mentioned that his car, specifically, had been hard to manage due to the particular setups he had tried out. Despite these challenges, he felt that progress was being made. The team of engineers was working hard to improve the car’s performance, and their efforts were paid off. The Briton explained optimism that they were moving in the right direction to make the car more stable and competitive.

FS Video
I think with the cars now, they’re a bit more on a knife’s edge. Or at least mine has been with the set ups that I’ve been putting on it. But we’re getting into a good place, the engineers are doing a really great job.
Lewis Hamilton added

Lewis Hamilton admits Mercedes usually ‘not quick of the box’

Lewis Hamilton while discussing the upcoming sprint races said, their car usually wasn’t quick from the start. However, they had to spend time tuning and adjusting it to get the best performance. He reckoned, Unlike other teams whose cars might be immediately fast, Mercedes always needed to put in extra effort to find the right setup. The Briton highlighted that this was a regular part of their process. It required patience and hard work from the entire team to ensure the car could compete at its best by the time of the race.

Our car is generally not quick out of the box, it’s something we always have to tune and work on.
Lewis Hamilton said
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Further, The seven-time-world champion explained, In Montreal, the W15 unexpectedly was fast right from the start to the end. Hamilton reckoned that this performance from Canada was a one-time occurrence. However, he said he would see in Austria whether it was or not. The 39-year-old had expressed his preference for Sprint weekends. He explained that he liked them because they provided less time for adjustments.

But in Montreal it was quick out of the box maybe it was a one-off, we’ll see tomorrow. But I like the Sprint weekends, it doesn’t give you a lot of time to adjust.
Lewis Hamilton added

Certainly, Lewis Hamilton felt that the car’s quick performance during the Canadian GP was unusual. However, he is looking forward to checking whether it was just a one-time occurrence or if the car has actually become fast. Fans are eager to watch Hamilton back in action at the Austrian GP and score some points for the team.

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