Lewis Hamilton, the record world champion of Formula 1, has opened up about his growing frustration with Mercedes’ struggles in the sport. Since narrowly losing the 2021 championship title to Max Verstappen in a controversial season finale, Hamilton has been unable to secure a victory, with Red Bull now dominating the pinnacle of motorsport.
The Mercedes driver has not tasted victory since the end of 2021, settling for second-place finishes in both 2022 and 2023. The British racer has been grappling with his car’s performance for multiple seasons, facing difficulties in finding the right balance and ease of driving.
Things appeared to have intensified with Hamilton very vocal about the poor Mercedes car with Toto Wolff trying to placate his driver following ‘stern words’ over the radio to Hamilton when the driver kept calling out track limit infringements, no doubt fuelled by frustration with his slow pace.
Wolff ‘needed to calm things down’ with Hamilton
Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has addressed his recent words to Lewis Hamilton, emphasising that they were aimed at calming tensions during a tense Austrian Grand Prix.
Following the race, the FIA, the governing body of motorsport, responded to numerous track-limit violations, including those that had triggered Hamilton’s frustrations and ultimately affected the post-race results. The FIA has demanded changes be made to the circuit to ensure the continuation of Formula One races at the Red Bull Ring.
Wolff found himself in the position of admonishing Hamilton during the race as the driver persisted in expressing his concerns about track limits, which eventually led to penalties. The team principal stated that his intervention was necessary for the benefit of the drivers and the team.
“Sometimes there is a certain moment you need to calm things down,” Wolff explained. He wanted to ensure that they were making the most of their performance, even though their car was not performing as desired.
“We had a lot of discussion about track limits and whether they were enforced or not, and I felt I wanted to just make sure we were getting the best out of the package.”
Impact on contract?
Wolff clarified that the incident did not impact the ongoing discussions regarding Hamilton’s contract renewal. He assured that the negotiations were still on track and nearing a conclusion, hinting at the possibility of a multi-year agreement.
“It’s not a money discussion. It’s about the future, about what we want to do right and optimize. We are not talking any more about duration or money, it’s other topics.”
The focus for Mercedes is to resolve any internal tensions and ensure a harmonious working relationship between the team and its star driver. While contract talks progress, the team will strive to address their performance issues and make the necessary improvements to remain competitive in the upcoming races.
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“I’ve not been happy for over a year…”
Speaking in a media session after the Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished in a disappointing eighth place, Hamilton revealed his dissatisfaction, stating, “I’ve not been happy in the car for a year now and a bit longer.”
The current Mercedes car, the W14, continues to pose challenges and limitations for Hamilton.
While acknowledging that progress has been made with the car aligning more with his preferences, Hamilton admitted that his confidence is still not at its peak. He expressed frustration with the car’s inability to extract his full potential, highlighting the limitations he faces while handling the W14.
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Some positives to be had…
Despite the ongoing struggles, Hamilton noted some positive developments, particularly in terms of the car’s stability. He mentioned that the vehicle had been unpredictable for a considerable period but is gradually becoming more reliable.
Hamilton took to Instagram after the Grand Prix weekend to share his thoughts, expressing both pride and frustration. He described the alternating feelings he experiences, highlighting the confusion when one day they perform strongly and the next day everything seems to falter.
In the Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes failed to secure top positions, in contrast to their previous successes in Spain and Canada. While the improved Ferraris showcased their strength, they were unable to keep up with the dominant performance of Max Verstappen.
Amidst his on-track struggles, Hamilton finds himself engaged in contract negotiations with Mercedes. However, an agreement on a new employment contract has yet to be reached. The uncertainty surrounding his future adds an additional layer of complexity to his current challenges on the track.
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How did these four not touch?! 🤯
Incredible racing from Albon, Magnussen, Stroll and Ocon 👏#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Pk2d7mjUhJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 3, 2023
Hamilton was OK when Mercedes was dominating every race for eight years. Now it is Red Bull’s turn, again. Deal with it or retire. The sport will easily replace you … just like it replaced Mansell, Senna, and Schumacher.
18 other drivers also have cars they are not happy with… none of them complains about that as much as La Hamilton does.
They just keep their head down and extract the maximum out of the material they have.
Behaviour from wich La Hamilton could take an example.