Hamilton urges Mercedes patience after practice struggles

Ewan Gale
Friday 17 March 2023 19:20

Lewis Hamilton has urged patience at Mercedes after struggling his way through Friday practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Briton finished only 11th fastest after the representative floodlit running in FP2 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as the Brackley-based outfit's troubles continued.

Team principal Toto Wolff has been as open and honest about the woes faced as Hamilton since the first qualifying session of the season in Bahrain, with radical changes in the pipeline for the W14.

READ MORE: Verstappen in command as traffic bedlam sparks Saudi Arabian GP qualifying fears But allaying fears of a deeper issue, the two-time champion said: "It was just functioning things with the downshifts, we do that all the time."

But after practice on Friday, Hamilton's downcast review suggested happier times remain a distant hope.

W14 'pretty much the same' as W13

"I definitely struggled in the session, I struggled in both sessions," conceded Hamilton.

"We just continue to go into the details, try to improve the balance of the car to make it easier to drive.

"It is just a tough car to drive but I know everyone is working so hard in the factory.

"It is a matter of time, just having to be patient."

On whether the W14 was better than the W13, Hamilton replied: "It is pretty much the same."

READ MORE: Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: Date, start time, TV channel and live stream