“I’ve driven so many cars in my life, I know what a car needs,” Lewis Hamilton blasts Mercedes for snubbing his inputs while designing W14

Hamilton's concerns over the team's lack of accountability are justified as Mercedes suffers from a dreadful start to the season

“I’ve driven so many cars in my life, I know what a car needs,” Lewis Hamilton blasts Mercedes for snubbing his inputs while designing W14

Lewis Hamilton at Bahrain Gp (Credits: Deccan Herald)

Mercedes began the 2023 season with the same concept that plagued their 2022 season, a distinctive design with no side pods. The “zero sidepods” concept was supposed to put the team back on top. The team’s aspirations were quickly crushed as they found themselves on the back foot, nearly a second slower than Red Bull, who comfortably won the opening race of the season.

The team is in a terrible predicament as a result of the poor performance, and Lewis Hamilton is not hesitant about expressing his worries. In a recent interview with the BBC’s Chequered Flag, the seven-time world champion voiced worry that the team had dismissed his concerns about what the vehicle required to be fast again.

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Hamilton’s concerns are reasonable, considering his long experience in the sport since 2007. Mercedes, on the other hand, does not appear to have listened to him. Despite the fact that his team finished third in the Constructors’ Championship last year, Hamilton recalls having meetings with the engineers in which he pointed out the car’s flaws.

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“Last year, there were things I told them, I said the issues that are with the car,” Hamilton said. “I’ve driven so many cars in my life, I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need. And I think it’s really about accountability. It’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be’.”

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Lewis Hamilton with his race engineer Pete Bonnington
Lewis Hamilton with his race engineer Pete Bonnington (Credits: PlanetF10

One of the causes for Mercedes’ difficulties might be related to a failed concept. While the German team had great hopes for the “zero sidepods” concept, it fell short of expectations. The design goal was to improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency and handling. But, the crew was unable to realize the full potential of the concept and were left with a car that was sluggish and difficult to drive.

The results of the season’s opening race do not bode well for Mercedes. The team finished a distant second behind its client team, Aston Martin, and nearly a second slower than Red Bull. The squad has a lot of work ahead of them if they want to compete for the championship this year.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, remains upbeat about the team’s chances. He admitted that the squad made mistakes, but he is hopeful that they will be able to learn from them and grow in the future. “We have a strong team, and we are all determined to turn things around,” he said.

Hamilton’s reservations about his team’s unwillingness to listen to him are valid. Mercedes’ failed idea and poor performance in the season’s first race have put the team in a tight situation. The squad, with the appropriate approach and a desire to learn from their mistakes, may yet turn things around and compete for the championship.

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