Lewis Hamilton anticipates improved performance from Mercedes this weekend, thanks to new upgrades. Introduced at Imola, these enhancements boost his confidence for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton hopes Mercedes F1 will perform better this weekend, with some new parts on his car. This is actually the package that was announced and brought to Imola, which includes components debuting this week, and he feels more confident than last week.
“We don’t have any upgrades to bring this weekend. We essentially have the same package spread over two weekends during the last two races,” Hamilton revealed. “We have our highest downforce level, which everyone has here, and we have an evolved wing.”
“But otherwise, we don’t know what we’re going to do this weekend. And I’m certainly more excited about it than the last two cars because those two aren’t very good. This car is a real work in progress and I think it should be much better here than last year.”
Still a Lack of Correlation?
The Briton admits in part that correlation is still an issue within the Mercedes team, noting that the work done in simulation is not the only factor, and the team regularly has to backtrack.
“We’re dealing with simulation tools and determining the grip of the surface, bumps, the car’s height or depth, the balance between high speed and low speed, the mechanical balance, weight distribution, aerodynamics, all those things.”
“There are so many factors involved. You can train on the simulator, but it’s only once on the track that you discover the issues you might or might not have. But yes, in a perfect world, you start on the right foot and don’t look back.”
“But that hasn’t been the case for the last two years. But as I said, I’m more confident for this weekend. This car is much more predictable and much more enjoyable to drive. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s heading in the right direction.”
McLaren “Shows It’s Possible”
The seven-time world champion emphasizes that there is no precise logic, and the W15’s performance depends on the overall car setup: “If you look at Suzuka, we were very slow in the low-speed corners; if you look at Jeddah, we were fast in the low-speed corners and terrible in the high-speed corners.”
“I think the car is starting to open up in terms of performance between high and low speeds, and I really hope we’ve dialed it in and can be a bit closer. We weren’t that far off in qualifying last year, with a much less capable car.”
Hamilton reveals that McLaren serves as an example for Mercedes, who aims to draw inspiration from the progress made by the Woking team: “I think they’ve also shown that it’s possible to close the gap and catch up if the work is done right. It’s motivated all of us to get down to it, and I hope we can also get closer.”
“I think Lando is doing an excellent job, and so is Oscar. He’s just been unlucky in the last few races. I’m excited to see both of them and how they progress, but especially for McLaren, to see them back at the top. It warms my heart because I was there for so long and they gave me my chance. So it’s cool.”
Hamilton Confident in Upgraded W15 for Monaco. Hamilton Confident in Upgraded W15 for Monaco
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