It’ll take Mercedes one year to compete with Red Bull

• Mercedes will take at least a year to compete with Red Bull on equal ground
• Hamilton and co are grappling with design problems
• Hamilton said Mercedes engineers must add downforce to the car

Mercedes will take at least a year to compete with Red Bull on equal ground for the title championship, Lewis Hamilton says.

For a second year in a row, Hamilton and co are grappling with design problems which are hurdling Mercedes’ performance.

He is struggling with tyre degradation which came up during the first race of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hamilton said Mercedes engineers must add downforce to the car on the front to give it a proper thrust which is why he is in no position to compete with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

This, he says, will take the Silver Arrows engineering team the rest of the 2023 season resolve, He told BBC Sport during an interview.

Hamilton’s fellow driver at Mercedes George Russell noted that he doesn’t have a lot of optimism at the moment and that Red Bull is winning.

Mercedes unveiled a black car.|PHOTO: Mercedes|

Red Bull won the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix while his teammate Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix where Verstappen finished second.

With Mercedes design troubles which are affecting performance, Red Bull is the favourite title to win the title championship in 2023.

“If you look at the Red Bull, it is just going to continue to evolve most likely. Some cars do plateau in terms of performance. At some point it can’t just keep going. But maybe it can,” said Hamilton.

“We just have to make sure when we do make the change hopefully the drop isn’t too far and hopefully it is going to take us the rest of the year for sure to potentially close that gap,” he added.

WHAT OTHER DESIGN PROBLEM DOES LEWIS HAMILTON HAVE WITH W14?

Besides the thrust, Hamilton’s W14 has its cockpit pushed further to the front which is very uncomfortable for him when racing.  Mercedes is the only vehicle in F1 where its drivers sit near the front wheels with the cockpit also placed in the same position.

Thus he always feels like he is seated on the wheels and it creates a lot of discomfort, especially in sharp bends. In terms of motoring physics, the car’s attitude changes based on how the driver reacts to placement when driving.

In previous models, his sitting position was centred which gave him the comfort needed to race.  Hamilton a few weeks ago said that Mercedes isn’t where it should be yet because the W14 is not the car they want but he has to remain optimistic for the sake of his team.

“We know we are not where we need to be, and we know that this isn’t the right car. It is a difficult one. But I’ve just got to try and stay positive, keep my head up and keep pushing the guys. Keep trying to be a positive light for them and get the best points I can,” Motorsports reports.

DID LEWIS HAMILTON QUIT MERCEDES?

Mercedes F1 car.|PHOTO: F1|

Hamilton has admitted that there are moments when he feels like quitting. He took to social media where he said that he takes in-depth digging to get the energy to keep moving. Hamilton doesn’t forget that he is on a mission chasing a dream and a title, both of which are not easy.

This reality keeps him on the grind just to fight for his dream which never comes easy.

“Some days I feel like stopping. When I start to feel this way I dig deep and remember I’m on a mission. Whether you realise it or not, you’re on a mission too. We’re all chasing something,” he wrote.

The seven-time Mercedes driver maintained that while succeeding in achieving some goals, there is always a feeling of impossibility. However, the love and support from fans only push them to understand that he will rise to the top once more. This has kept off quitting thoughts at bay.

“Some dream or goal that will make us better people, make our lives more fulfilling and make us proud of ourselves. Some days it’ll feel impossible to get there, but it’s not. We can get it. We will get it I know you’re with me, I feel the love and support and just know I’m sending it back to you tenfold. We got this,” he further said.