Hamilton Applauds Team’s Unyielding Spirit

Mercedes F1 shows significant progress, with Hamilton praising the team’s resilience and hard work as they develop the W15.

Lewis Hamilton is eager to continue the 2024 season as Mercedes F1 has shown progress, particularly in Miami, where the understanding of the W15 finally seemed better. The seven-time world champion thanks his team for their hard and continuous work.

Hamilton Applauds Team’s Unyielding Spirit

“The last race was positive, and there is a long way to go,” Hamilton said. “I am very excited about the upcoming developments. We took a step in the last race, we took a step this weekend, and there are more steps in the pipeline.”

“I feel like we’ve found… a North Star for what we need to do and change. It takes time, but the energy in the team is incredible. The team members are showing great resilience.”

“They keep pushing, even though we’ve been knocked down multiple times. We just have to keep our heads down, stay focused, and do our best job every weekend.”

Hamilton confirmed that the aerodynamics of the cars are the issue, as the Mercedes engines are flawless: “We always knew the engine was not a problem. The engine is excellent.”

“I think the team has continued to do an extraordinary job in developing this technology. And with the hybrid era, we’ve been at the top in terms of development pace, performance, and reliability.”

“So it’s never been a problem. Everyone who buys our engines knows what they’re getting. We know that on the car side, we haven’t done the best job possible in the past two years. And we’re working as hard as possible to fix that.”

“It’s encouraging to see that we’re making progress.”

Hamilton explains the work being done behind the scenes to improve the W15: “It’s a game of patience, and you have to work with what you have. You need to make the most of the tools you have today, tomorrow, and this weekend.”

“But it is very encouraging to see that we are making progress at the factory in the wind tunnel. We have new components coming in, and that’s always an exciting part of the process. Trying out a lot of different things and finding out what works and what doesn’t.”

“The fact that we have a direction and have tested it on the simulator makes you eager to get those elements. It’s a very challenging time for the people who have to spend time at the factory and make sure these things happen sooner. We need all hands on deck, and we know we already have them.”

Hamilton will join Ferrari next year, where he will reunite with Jérôme d’Ambrosio, Loïc Serra, Jock Clear, and Fred Vasseur. He doesn’t think this will change much: “When I came to Mercedes, I didn’t know anyone, and that was completely normal.”

“So, I don’t think it makes a big difference on a personal level. Obviously, I’ve worked with Loïc for many years. I have an excellent working relationship with him. And my first number two, Jock, works on that team. These are the only two I know particularly well, along with Fred.”

“The motivation hasn’t dropped one bit.”

George Russell echoed his teammate’s sentiments, particularly on Mercedes’ efforts: “It’s impressive to see how the team has come together, dedicating so many hours at the factory to try to bring these developments to the car more quickly, working hard to make the car faster.”

“The direction we need to take is very clear, which gives people motivation and a clear platform on which we need to develop. Time will tell over the next few races. The motivation hasn’t dropped one bit, and everyone is very driven to bring Mercedes back to the top.”

Russell hopes that returning to races without Sprint sessions, allowing for three free practice sessions, will benefit Mercedes in their quest to understand the W15, starting this weekend at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

“I enjoy race weekends, but when you’re trying to understand the car and have only had one session per weekend for a month, it has set us back. We’re in this position because of a lack of understanding, so we’re happy to return to a traditional format.”