Seven-time world champion in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton, is facing tough competition from his own teammate, George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton, widely regarded as the greatest driver in Formula One, has been struggling with the new W14 car. The Mercedes car initially promised much better performance than the W13, but the test run in Bahrain exposed the claims. According to Hamilton, the team picked up from where they left off in 2022, and he saw no upgrade whatsoever.
On the other hand, his teammate and fellow British native, George Russell, is acing the qualifying sessions and beating him on several occasions. Hence, the fans raised suspicion that despite having equal machinery, why is Lewis lagging behind Russell? Recently, an F1 pundit, Mark Hughes, shed some light on the issue and explained the visible difference between the two driver’s driving styles.
Lewis Hamilton Struggling Due To The Seating Position Of The W14, Claims Mark Hughes
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton secured his first podium of the 2023 season in the Australian Grand Prix. However, he remains unsatisfied with the W14’s design and performance. The Briton has been complaining about the car’s design since the beginning of the season and even expressed a sense of disconnect with the machinery. However, his teammate, George Russell, is having no problem whatsoever and said it’s the best car he has ever driven in Formula One. So what’s different for Russell?
Mark Hughes, an F1 analyst, appeared on “The Race” podcast and gave a detailed explanation. He said the reason for Lewis’ downfall this season is the imbalance between his driving style and the car’s design. Mark explained saying Lewis Hamilton is an aggressive driver who is very late on brakes and follows the track’s geometric line with extensive steering control. For that, he needs to have confidence in his steering unit and a sense of what the rear is doing during the turns. But with the new seating position of the W14, Lewis feels he is sitting very forward, almost on the tires, and is unable to figure out the movement of the rear. Hence, that messes with his judgment and causes multiple unforced errors.
Hamilton Points Out Key Differences Between The W14 And RB19
The Red Bull racing emerged as the favorites during the early test runs of the 2023 season and was followed by three mega-race wins. They have an unmatchable pace and are almost driving alone among themselves at the front. Meanwhile, Mercedes, on the other hand, is still trying to figure out what went wrong in the 2022 season.
While the bouncing issues have been resolved, Lewis Hamilton pointed out another major issue that sets them apart from the RB19. Hamilton believes the RB19 has strong rear ends, which generates additional pace at the corners. Further, he compared it to the W14 and said the Mercedes car has a strong front but a weaker rear. Hence, they lag in pace and power compared to the Red Bulls. However, the Briton is happy that the porpoising problem is resolved as it made the car more predictable and desirable to drive.
