Mercedes loses more than a second per lap to Red Bull in race according to Lewis Hamilton. His Mercedes W14 2023 Formula 1 car is losing more than a second per lap to Red Bull in the race. The British driver explains that the W14 is losing ground mainly in the corners and not on the straights.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes is losing more than a second per lap to Red Bull in the race based on data from the season opener in Bahrain.

The Red Bull team dominated the opening round of the season in Bahrain a fortnight ago with a one-two finish led by Max Verstappen quite “easily”. Mercedes – still struggling this year with their 2023 car – finished the Bahrain Grand Prix more than 50 seconds behind Red Bull (Hamilton finished P5 and Russell P7).

Hamilton reveals just how slow Mercedes is

When asked where Mercedes must improve this year to claw back performance from Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton said, “It’s not on the straights.”

“Last year we had a lot of drag. Not only did we struggle on the straights, but we had to go for a much bigger wing, otherwise we would also lose in the corners.”

“This year it’s mostly in the corners. I think in the straights we are fast. But in the exit [of the corners], these guys [Red Bull] have a lot of rear end in the majority of the corners.”

“So, I think during the race [in Bahrain] they were not pushing. And so I think they are much faster than they looked. We could see that they are a second and a half faster per lap in the race, something like that.”

This weekend, Formula One races in the second round of the 2023 season at the ultra-fast Jeddah track in Saudi Arabia, which means – if Hamilton is to be believed – that the Mercedes W14 should be a little more comfortable here than in Bahrain because of the long straights on this urban track.

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