Lewis Hamilton delivered a strong verdict on Mercedes on Wednesday. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion believes the team did nothing with his input when developing the 2023 car.
Hamilton’s criticism comes three days after he finished fifth in the opening race in Bahrain. Red Bull Racing rivals Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) were fastest.
“Last year I pointed out what was wrong with the car. I’ve been in a lot of cars in my life and I know what’s needed and what’s not,” Hamilton says on the BBC podcast. Checkered flag.
“It’s about taking responsibility. The team has to admit their mistakes and say, ‘You know what? We didn’t listen to you. We didn’t get things right, we’ve got work to do.'”
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‘Let’s put our heads together’
A week before the start of the Formula 1 season, Hamilton had already expressed his concerns about the Mercedes car during the test days. The 38-year-old driver thinks the team needs to quickly look at some of the W14’s shortcomings.
“We have to look at the balance in the corners and all the other weaknesses. We have to put our heads together as a team,” says Hamilton, who is hopeful of improvement despite his disappointment.
“We’re still champions, but we haven’t done as well since last year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be good again in the future.”
Verstappen, the reigning world champion, won the Bahrain Grand Prix by force majeure. The second race of the season takes place this coming Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Two weeks later it’s Australia’s turn.
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