© Finn Pomeroy for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
After Lewis Hamilton complained about a certain characteristic of the Mercedes W14, Toto Wolff says “when a seven-time world champion has an opinion, it is important to listen to it”.
Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton explained what his main problem with the Mercedes’ 2023 car was.
“In the past, I’ve always enjoyed an oversteering car,” the Briton said.
“We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers. When you are driving you feel like you are sitting on the front wheels, which is one of the worst feelings when you are driving a car.
“If you were driving a car at home and the wheels were right underneath your legs, you would not be happy approaching a roundabout.
“What that does is that it changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. It makes it harder to predict compared to when you are further back and more central.
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“It is something I’ve really struggled with. It’s doing the opposite of what we want and that’s what we’re trying to fix,” Hamilton concluded.
When asked about this by Motorsport Total, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the team listened to Lewis and is working on fixing the issue.
“We are dealing with the big concept of the driver position,” the Austrian said.
“That is obviously one of the most important things. It’s about where the driver has the best feeling in the car, which is something Lewis expresses very clearly.
“And when a seven-time world champion has an opinion, it is important to listen to it,” Wolff concluded.
