Mercedes director praises 'PRAGMATIC' Lewis Hamilton attitude after F1 frustrations

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes director praises 'PRAGMATIC' Hamilton attitude after F1 frustrations

Trackside engineering director Andy Shovlin explains Mercedes’ approach and praised Lewis Hamilton's contribution to the team

Shay Rogers

Tuesday 11 July 2023 06:57

Mercedes have taken a steady approach to rebuilding the W14 so far this season, after admitting mistakes were made as early as last season which have held them back so far this year.

On the face of things, sitting second in the constructors’ championship may not seem too bad, however, inconsistent performances and an evolving car have made for some tough times in the cockpit of the Silver Arrows.

Lewis Hamilton experienced a tough race at the Austrian Grand Prix, dropping several positions and receiving multiple penalties for track limits violations as he finished in eighth place.

Shovlin: Hamilton has a long-term view

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the conclusion of FP1 for the British Grand Prix, Andy Shovlin reserved high praise for the Brit, who has helped them team push forwards through the tough period.

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“There’s some items we’ve brought here to try and adapt the car a bit more towards Lewis’ style. He’s very pragmatic, he’s taking a long-term view on this.

“He’s very focused on ‘what is it I need to look at to test, to try and find the improvements?’"

This weekend marks an opportunity for Hamilton to win the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time, at a track where Mercedes have historically run very strong.

“We’ll chip away at that here and he’s pretty calm in terms of helping us develop the car the way that we need to and, in the background, working on his own understanding of how to adapt the setup to his style.”

With 480,000 fans expected to be in attendance, the seven-time champion will be hoping to put on a special show for his adoring fans by the time Sunday arrives, having gone nearly two years without a race win.