F1 News: Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes mistakes over key F1 decision

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Australia, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Superstars

Hamilton rues Mercedes mistakes over key F1 decision

The seven-time champion has admitted some key failings from his team

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 20 April 2024 20:42

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Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes may have done things 'differently', if they look back on the start of their season with hindsight.

Mercedes have had a poor start to the season, with 2023's inconsistencies still not properly ironed out and a W15 car that has fallen behind their Formula 1 rivals.

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Having finished second in last season's constructors' championship, there had been hope that Mercedes could get closer to the dominant Red Bull team in 2024, and maybe challenge for their first race victory since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.

However, Ferrari and McLaren both sit ahead of the team in this year's constructors' standings, and they are just ahead of fifth-placed Aston Martin.

Hamilton, who will head to Ferrari in 2025 and is in his final season with Mercedes, has had a particularly poor start to the season, not finishing higher than seventh in any of the first four grand prix races - although he did claim a highly respectable second place at the Chinese sprint.

Mercedes bringing 'learnings' to China

Now, heading into the Chinese GP weekend, Hamilton has said that little progress has been made with his drive, and that the team are still ruing missed opportunities during the winter break.

“Nothing’s changed with our car, so it’s going to be the same car this weekend,” he told media.

“But we understand it a little bit more. We look on the last weekend, we did make improvements and so bringing some of those learnings into this weekend. And then on top of that, some new direction again.

“I think if we could go back, you would have done things differently. That’s hindsight and experience.

“So we’re trying to bring that here this weekend and see if we can implement some of those changes we would have done perhaps further in Suzuka and hopefully that can find us a bit of performance.”