© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
Lewis Hamilton says he “definitely” feels “more optimistic” about Mercedes’ 2024 car, but they “just need to work on making this car more consistent and easier to drive”.
For a third year in a row, Mercedes has not been able to come to grips with new ground effect Formula 1 regulations that were introduced in 2022.
However, when asked by Sky’s Ted Kravitz why Mercedes has struggled to master the current regulations, Lewis Hamilton said it was “not over yet”.
“Well, we just haven’t yet – it’s not over yet,” the Briton said.
“But I think with this sport, I think it’s just naturally difficult. If you start on the right foot and, you know, if your first brick down has got a good foundation, you can just continue to build on it. And I think that’s what we had experienced in the past years.
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“Whereas when we started with this generation of car, we started with five bricks, good weight, we had to knock it down and try again, knock it down, try it again and take off that performance basically.
“And we’ve made all these changes, tried everything, sometimes lost our way, then found it and then lost again. I think it’s just very complex.”
Lewis added he feels more confident about this year’s car than he was about its predecessors.
“I definitely do feel more optimistic about this car, yeah. Obviously, the first couple of races, there’s been small showings of the car feeling great and we have pace for a moment, and then it kind of disappears.
“So there’s definitely performance there, we just need to work on making this car more consistent and easier to drive,” he concluded.
