Looks like nothing has been going alright with the Mercedes AMG Formula One team since 2022. The team has been facing continuous disappointments, failures, and humiliation. Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes are apparently losing the shine. Sadly, fans are also turning against him due to critics surrounding him claiming the Mercedes era is gone with the turbo hybrid era. A tough time, in conclusion, let’s say for the Silver Arrows, it is. In 2023, instead of healing the wounds of 2022, they are getting another one; Red Bull’s RB19 is way stronger than the Mercedes W14.
Rivals, including Ferrari and this year’s surprise, Aston Martin, are counting on poles and podiums. And the Silver Arrows are still “miles away” from being the contender for the trophy. But this is not the time to mourn over the loss. They need a ray of hope in this dark time. And now Lewis Hamilton takes the responsibility of becoming the “positive light” for his team cum family, as he said.
Being “Concerned” Is Not The Onle Word That Describes Lewis Hamilton And Mercedes’ Situation
In this year’s opening race at the Bahrain International Circuit, Hamilton finished fifth. While George Russell got P7. Red Bull and Ferrari were the expected rivals, but in Formula One, you can’t expect certainty, and so Aston Martin proved this fact correct here. Fernando Alonso, who got third on the podium last weekend, may become the biggest obstacle for Mercedes on the grid in the upcoming races of the season. On the other hand, the W14 is already pace-less, lacking downforce, and is not balanced. All of this has made Hamilton’s eye frantic at the moment.
No doubt, Mercedes has not made much progress from last year, which ended with a solitary win. This is a huge matter of concern. But not only concern, Lewis Hamilton believes that “concerned would not be the word” to describe how Mercedes is feeling right now. There is nothing he can say at present. All that Mercedes gotta do is keep working; repeating the words again, Hamilton quoted, “We are not where we need to be, and we know it. We know that the W14 is not the right car. It is a difficult one.”
So what now? What about Mercedes? The dignity, promises, and hopes, all dead? No, nothing is finished yet, and the team just needs to stay positive for the future. Hamilton has also admitted that the team is trying hard; he is pushing hard. He keeps trying “to be a positive light for Mercedes.” It is okay if the car is weak and the drivers are unable to win. Developments are on the way, and till then, Hamilton and Russell will try to secure the best points they can get.
Besides, Hamilton has figured out that the W14 is lacking a lot of downforces. Therefore fixing it will definitely reduce the bad lucks they are facing. Perhaps next weekend, with several developments, team Mercedes will rise again as they did in the United States Grand Prix in 2022.