Mercedes did not take Hamilton’s opinion into account when designing the W14
Mercedes is currently far from rivaling Red Bull. Within the German team, everyone admits that the current car cannot compete for the title. Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment that nobody took his opinion into account during the design of the W14.
2022 is a year to forget for Mercedes. If they were hoping to quickly turn the page in 2023, unfortunately, the start of the season did not go as planned for Toto Wolff’s team.
Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, more than fifty seconds behind the leader, Max Verstappen. George Russell didn’t do any better, finishing seventh.
If Mercedes has the will to return to the top by winning its ninth title this year, Toto Wolff knows that the road will be long. “I don’t think this package will be competitive in the long run,” he said after last Saturday’s qualifications, promising a change in direction.
On the sidelines of the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, hinted to the BBC microphone that Mercedes did not consult him regarding the development of the W14. With his record-breaking number of 103 Grand Prix victories, the British driver seemed disappointed that his experience was not taken into account.
Last year, I informed them about the car problems. I have driven so many cars in my life that I know what a car needs and what it doesn’t need,” said the seven-time world champion.
And I think it’s really a question of responsibility, it’s about taking on and saying “yes, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not the right thing and we need to work on it”.
« We must focus on balance in the turns, examine all the weak points, and stand together as a team, that’s what we do. We are still multiple world champions, it’s just that they didn’t succeed this time, they didn’t succeed last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t succeed and move forward. »
