Former Formula One champ Lewis Hamilton has been waiting for new Mercedes upgrades ever since the season began this year. The seven-time champion has been waiting for a car with which he can win the coveted eighth world champion title. But the Mercedes F1 team has not been able to give him that since last year. Needless to say, the introduction of the cost cap rule really messed up the booming era of the Silver Arrows. They were unbeatable from 2014 to 2021’s constructor championship. However, everything changed when Max Verstappen won the 2021 driver’s world championship. That season, Hamilton was on his way to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand along with the eighth championship title.
It did decide the season’s winner, but it was the new champion of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Since then, the Dutchman has been unstoppable. Last year he won 15 out of 22 races. Not just that, this year, Max has already won four out of six races. And his teammate, Sergio Perez, won the other two. Apparently, it is clear that the car is the determining factor in Formula One championship. That is why Red Bull is winning because they have figured out a way to build the fastest car, but Mercedes has been really struggling regarding that. Lewis Hamilton is also eager to get back to winning ways with new upgrades to the W14 car.
Lewis Hamilton Is Optimistic After Driving With New Upgrades In Monaco
After the disappointing start of the current season, Mercedes has been planning to add new upgrades to the car. But after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix failed to take place due to a terrible flood, the German team changed their plans to test new upgrades in Monaco. Albeit, the new upgrades did not help the Brackley team get a podium finish in Monaco. But Lewis Hamilton had a positive reaction regarding the new updates after driving the car. He revealed that, “The car is feeling good even though it is not the right place to test modifications. But I definitely feel the improvements in the car. We need to build on these improvements for the upcoming races.”
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that the team can do a better job in Barcelona. Hence, he is expecting his team to gather more information about how the car will hold up in Barcelona. The seven-time champion also mentioned that Barcelona is the best test bench circuit. On the other hand, in Monaco, it is difficult to say as the car felt stiff, bumpy, and a bit tricky. On top of that, Hamilton did say something about a part that he feels definitely has improved, but he is not sure how well it will work in the next Grand Prix at Barcelona.
Toto Wolff Feels Mercedes Is Slowly Getting There
On the other hand, Team Principal Toto Wolff believes that it is all about getting to understand the car at first. He added that if, with a poor car, they could win at Interlagos last year, then it is possible to win races with the new promising upgrades. Adding to that, Mercedes’ boss asserted, “We are gradually getting there.”
With this, Wolff indicates that Mercedes is gradually figuring out a way to win races under the cost cap regulations. Only time will tell how long Mercedes will take to provide a fast and winning car for Lewis Hamilton.
