Hamilton “won’t question logic” of Mercedes development saga
Hamilton “won’t question logic” of Mercedes development saga
Lewis Hamilton has refused to "question the logic" of Mercedes' decision to halt development of the W12 for the rest of the season.
The seven-time champion called for upgrades to cut the deficit to Red Bull after being soundly beaten by Max Verstappen at last weekend's Styrian Grand Prix, although team principal Toto Wolff insisted the team had finished its upgrade cycle for the season.
The team will bring small upgrades in the near future after technical director James Allison said the halt to development "doesn't mean there aren't things still in the food-chain from prior to that focus switch," insinuating upgrades had already been made.
On the development halt and ahead of Allison's statement, Hamilton said: "I’m not going to question the team’s logic and how they go through with their process.
“I would love to have… give us an upgrade, we would love an upgrade… but I don’t think it’s in the pipeline at the moment.
"It’s been close at the beginning of the season and if we both – Red Bull and us – had the same performance as we did in those first four races then perhaps it would be a little more exciting.
"But they’ve taken a decent step forwards. We will work as hard as we can to manoeuvre around it but in terms of baseline performance, this is what we’ve got."
Mercedes at a straight-line disadvantage
Hamilton believes that one of the key advantages Mercedes has had over its opposition for years - the straight line speed delivered by the performance of its engine – is one of the things that Red Bull has now overcome.
“Whether that’s power or wing, it feels draggy but it also feels not that strong on the straights,” explained Hamilton of his performance deficit. “It could be one or the other or both together.”
Verstappen claimed that despite the new cost cap, Red Bull is able to focus on this year and next, when major changes will be made to the regulations, but Hamilton refused to be drawn into a debate about the capabilities of the two teams.
Asked if he feels Mercedes should bring some focus back on 2021, Hamilton replied: "Look, I’ve got an incredibly intelligent, strong and amazing group of people working behind me who take all of those decisions.
"Obviously, you have to try to balance out with this new cost-cap. Naturally, we would love to have upgrades and improvements but I don’t think that’s currently on the cards. When we do a debrief we’ll chat about it, but that’s how it is at the moment."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton dealt China blow after major FIA decision as Ricciardo given huge Horner warning - GPFans F1 Recap
- 3 hours ago
F1 team unveil star-studded lineup in China
- 3 hours ago
F1 Qualifying Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 22:27
Horner delivers threat to Ricciardo over Red Bull pressure
- Yesterday 21:57
F1 Sprint Race Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2024 start times, schedule and TV
- Yesterday 21:27
Wolff left FUMING with Mercedes despite amazing Hamilton lap
- Yesterday 20:57
Related news
Ferrari calls for "tighter reins" on FIA staff
FIA investigating additional gravel trap solutions for Red Bull Ring
Ferrari still not “addressed completely” its car issues - Binotto
McLaren has "homework" as lapped Lando laments pace deficit
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860