On many occasions, Lewis Hamilton mentioned he wouldn’t leave Mercedes as long as he and Toto Wolff had strong communication. It was only a matter of time until the seven-time champion signed a contract extension with the German team. Hamilton will stay a part of the team for another two years as a driver. However, fans are not sure if the superstar driver can win his eighth title in the next two years. Especially when the Mercedes car has been so incompetent since the previous year.
However, Mike Elliot, the team’s CTO, mentioned that they would push W14 to its limit to learn more about the car’s limitations. In 2023, the Mercedes team has been gathering data and information to be sure of the car and the direction they are about to embark on. They have introduced multiple upgrades throughout the season. Moreover, there have been certain positives and negatives as well after all the upgrades. However, reportedly Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff are now contradicting each other regarding the 2024 Challenger and the W14 car.
Why Did The Mercedes Duo Contradict Each Other?
The Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, has already mentioned that they would throw the W14 car into the bin as soon as the season is over. Moreover, Toto Wolff said that Mercedes is looking to move in an entirely different direction from where they were in the last two seasons. Toto Wolff mentioned they have encouraging signs from the car’s tunnel, and it will be more together as well as balanced. Hence, the Mercedes boss believes they have answers to many of their questions. Moreover, the team is looking at the results along with an encouraging perspective. However, the Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton said they would never bin the current car.
Recently, in an interview in Suzuka, Hamilton noted that there are always positives that can be taken from the current car, and it will help improve the next car. Even if they are not, Hamilton believes these cars are masterpieces. More than 2,000 people worked so hard to build this car. These people will always be part of Mercedes’ history and their learning curve. However, Lewis Hamilton knew the W14 was not the fastest car in the grid. But Hamilton mentioned that it’s far too early to comment on the 2024 challenger because they are just in the starting process. However, Lewis Hamilton added that he had absolute faith in the crew working back in the Brackley factory.
Perhaps Ferrari Was A More Suitable Place For Lewis Hamilton
There were rumors floating around suggesting Ferrari wanted to sign Hamilton. Some experts and fans feel that could have been a better prospect for the seven-time champion. That doubt increased after Ferrari was able to break the winning streak of Red Bull in the Singaporean Grand Prix. On the other hand, the Mercedes drivers showed incredible pace throughout the race.
However, only Lewis Hamilton ended up with a podium finish. But George Russell had an unfortunate DNF almost at the fag end of the race. Moreover, the car proved it is quite fast in high downforce tracks. But W14 has been very inconsistent throughout the season. At present, the Mercedes team plans to focus on the next year’s car. They are desperate to build a car that can compete for the title after two years. It has been a very hard time for the former champions.
