WATCH: F1 pundit bashes ‘awful’ Mercedes W14, claims it ‘didn’t deserve’ championship P2
Kravitz slammed Mercedes W14 for underwhelming 2023 season despite P2 finish in Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes W14 in action. (via SI)
Mercedes introduced the W14 for the 2023 season after a substandard 2022 season with the W13, albeit winning a race with it. The Brackley-based team expected the W14 to be competitive right off the bat, but this did not happen.
After the zero sidepod concepts backfired, the W14 was changed drastically to include side pods in Monaco, putting Mercedes on the back foot. With the third or fourth fastest car all season, Mercedes somehow managed to put their foot in the door and take second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
F1 Pundit Ted Kravitz had extremely harsh words for the Mercedes 2023 vehicle, calling it a “humdinger of a car”, surprised that Mercedes could extract some performance out of it at all, bidding the car goodbye and good riddance.
Goodbye and Good riddance to the W14. Speaks to the operational brilliance of Mercedes and Lewis and George they managed to get P2 with such a humdinger of a car.
Mercedes will be looking forward to the 2024 season, with two good drivers on their roster and the reliable Mick Schumacher testing for them. Mercedes have had their first winless season in a decade in 2023, and will not be looking to repeat that feat coming into 2024 with a brand new car.
Lewis Hamilton happy to finally be rid of “unpredictable” W14
Lewis Hamilton has driven a great season of F1 in a car that was rarely the second-fastest vehicle on the grid. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell managed only eighth in the Championship, but Hamilton was in the unsuccessful fight for P2 until Las Vegas and finished third anyway.
Hamilton’s performance does not reflect the proficiency of the Mercedes car, though. The W14 has presented problems to the team since its inception, especially in the last two race weekends where Hamilton failed to qualify in the top 10 on both occasions.
The 7x World Champion complained about the car on the radio after the qualifying session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and elaborated that it was a very “unpredictable” and inconsistent car, especially when it came to the braking zones. Hamilton said:
Just a very been a very unpredictable car, its been the same all year. It’s not more consistent as before, per corner to the moment you hit the brakes, the moment you turn to the moment you hit the apex, its definitely out of balance. Its very hard to predict what’s going to happen.
Lewis Hamilton’s winless streak for two seasons has extended into 2024, and the Briton will be looking to change that for the next season. With a contract extension for two years, Hamilton does not look enthusiastic to retire yet and still has the drive to win an eighth World Title.
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Syed Talib Haider
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