Lewis Hamilton has been recovering after a disastrous year in his infamous Mercedes W14. The British champion has remained winless for two seasons in a row and his frustrations went up a notch after his 2023 season, which was even worse compared to 2022. Hamilton came in third in the driver’s standings but he was not at all satisfied with his current performance.
Mercedes has high hopes for 2024 and Toto Wolff is all fired up to give Lewis Hamilton his eighth title. Toto even claimed that they have redefined the car from its very foundations to gain an edge over competitors, and it all seems to be setting the stage for a very exciting 2024 season.
Lewis Hamilton pleased with W15 progress
One of the main problems Lewis had in 2023 was the fact that he was convinced his team didn’t listen to his instructions regarding the development of the Mercedes W14. Lewis Hamilton had an insanely difficult time taming his 2023 ride and he was so downbeat by the end of the season that F1 pundits were worried about him. The Mercedes W15 is the next offering on his palate but it looks like the 7-time champ has regained his optimism with the arrival of his car and he thinks it may be a game changer for Mercedes.
Hamilton revealed his ambitions with the upcoming Mercedes, and he talked about his adventures while visiting the wind tunnel at their factory.
“I’m not an engineer or a designer. So it’s not easy. It’s always an exciting time of the year because I have seen the current car in the wind tunnel,” Hamilton told media. “I always go by the wind tunnel when I go to the factory to see it evolving in whichever direction it ends up going.”
The Mercedes ace also expressed his open confidence in his team’s abilities to develop the W15; he claims that his ride is going to be an even better ‘animal’ the next time he visits it. “I popped in just to see where we were and when I come back it will be again a different animal. But I have full faith in everyone that’s working on it and I’m hopeful that we will be in a much more competitive position next year.”
Hamilton aims to turn the corner in 2024
Lewis Hamilton discussed his 2024 plans with their new challenger as he further displayed his optimism about the next year’s championship battles. The Briton has stated that Mercedes is indeed in a much better position currently and he is positive that they might just end up making a lot of progress in 2024.
“I do believe we have a North Star now, which I don’t think we’ve had for two years. Still, getting there is not a straight line. There were just certain things, decisions that have been made, that just left you blocked at the end of a road, and you can’t do anything, because of the cost cap and all these different things.”
Lewis also commented on the gap to Red Bull and he wasn’t necessarily whimsical about his expectations from the car, “That gap… We are just on massively different trajectories. But I think we understand the car so much better now. We have developed great tools in the background. So naturally, I’m hopeful. But I’m not going to hold my breath.”
It’s obvious that Hamilton has been waiting for a long time after being so close to achieving glory in 2021, and the wait has taken a toll on him. What would be your review of Lewis Hamilton’s 2023 season? Feel free to share it in the comments below.
