Lewis Hamilton reveals moment he knew Mercedes' W14 would not win titles

Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

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Hamilton reveals moment he knew Mercedes' W14 would not win titles

The seven-time champion endured another mixed season with the Silver Arrows

Cal Gaunt

Wednesday 29 November 2023 18:57

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Lewis Hamilton has admitted he knew he wouldn't be in the running for the Formula 1 title this year as soon as he first drove the Mercedes W14 in February.

The Silver Arrows had aimed for a comeback after a challenging 2022 season, but struggles with the latest ground effect technology left them without a single victory, a first in 12 years for the team.

Hamilton expressed his concerns about the car's capability to challenge for wins during the initial testing at Silverstone.

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"When I first drove the car in February I knew immediately that it wasn't a championship-winning car," Hamilton said.

"It felt identical to the previous year's car so that was definitely a concern."

Lewis Hamilton says he knew from February that Mercedes could not compete for the 2023 title

Mercedes' W14 car was not the F1 powerhouse they hoped it would be

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were winless in the 2023 season

Mercedes' North Star

Hamilton eventually finished P3 in the drivers' standings, and the seven-time world champion is optimistic he can get back to winning ways in 2024.

"The credit I give to just us as a team coming together, the focus on just maximising with what we have," Hamilton added.

"And a huge amount of work that we've done in the background to just try to maximise each weekend.

"I think on my side, I think I've been very, very consistent generally, apart from one race probably this year; generally been another good, consistent year for me.

Thanks for all the love this season. Til next year ~ pic.twitter.com/Ijg851dfzg
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 27, 2023

"But there are also lots of areas that I can continue to improve.

"We have improved the car, ultimately not as much as we want but I think we really have. I feel like more than ever we have a North Star, we know where we're going and know where we need to get to.

"Now it's just all hands on deck. We just all need to be rowing at the same pace."

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Formula 1 silver arrows