Whoever associated with team Mercedes has not been happy with the W14 car since the opening race of the season. After facing a lot of issues last year, the team promised to bring a revamped car that can help the drivers lead at the front of the grid. Despite that, there have been a lot of problems with the car for the initial part of the season. Although W14 has shown some hints of improvement since the Monaco upgrades. It helped Hamilton get to the podium thrice this year. But the seven-time champion has not been able to crack a P1 finish yet. He is still far from Max Verstappen, who is in first place.
The Dutchman is still 123 points ahead of Hamilton. He has won seven of nine races and five in a row so far. On the other hand, the Mercedes ace has not won a single race since last year. But history suggests that the British Grand Prix has been a lucky home circuit for Hamilton. He has won a mammoth eight times in the Silverstone. Despite owning up to the track every year, Hamilton feels that his team is missing something this time. According to him, even after the addition of the new upgrades and a new front wing, there is something wrong with W14 in Silverstone.
Lewis Hamilton Feels Something’s Wrong With W14 Even After New Upgrades
Lewis Hamilton just prefers to be as realistic as possible. During the practice session on Friday at Silverstone, he failed to gain on the soft tires. This failure reveals that something is indeed wrong with the car. Lewis Hamilton told Motorsport.com, “The team is battling the same demons. It feels difficult to drive this car. Even after changing the setup a little bit, it is still tough.”
The Briton explained that on the single lap, he felt no improvement in the tires. But in the long run, it was a little bit better. Even in terms of pace, Hamilton noted that it did not feel great, but the last part of his run started feeling consistent. Although Lewis Hamilton suggests the track in Silverstone provides new challenges but always produces great races. The British weather helps, but Hamilton expects sunny weather for the drivers and the spectators.
The Seven-Time Champion Feels It Is Okay To Dream
Despite facing all the hardships, Lewis Hamilton believes that it is okay to dream. The Mercedes ace even assures that he will give his best to get at least a podium on Sunday. That would be a great result for the team. However, Hamilton knows that they are still not there in the same race as Red Bulls. Still, he praised the rivals saying they had done a great job. Other than in the British Grand Prix, Hamilton has also won the Hungarian Grand Prix eight times. The only other driver in history to win eight times in a particular Grand Prix is Michael Schumacher in Magny-Cours.
Hence, Lewis Hamilton has a golden chance to create history this weekend if he wins at home. Moreover, the W14 car will have a new front wing that will help gain pace, especially around the slow-speed corner. On top of that, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, suggests that the new upgrades in Silverstone will suit Hamilton’s driving style. Hence, the seven-time champion has a better chance to end the winless drought.
