London, Nov 29: Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Mercedes did not make changes to their car that the seven-time world champion asked for ahead of the 2023 season.
Hamilton again endured a frustrating campaign as his search for a record eighth title continues, with the 38-year-old now without a race win in more than two years.
While the British driver fought back from a slow start to finish an eventual third in the Drivers’ Championship standings, Mercedes were largely unable to challenge Red Bull’s dominance at the top.
It followed an uneven year in 2022 that saw the team plagued with problems, and Hamilton has now confirmed that his request that changes be made to their vehicle ahead of this year’s campaign was ignored.
Problems were evident from the very first grand prix of the season in Bahrain, with Hamilton revealing that he had to have “big, big talks” with Mercedes after the race.
“I’m sure there were frustrations, because I had asked for certain changes, and they weren’t done,” Hamilton recalled in an interview with the BBC. “No-one knew exactly what the problem was. No-one knew how to fix it.
“Having the experience of the previous year [2022], I just applied myself, in terms of digging down, sitting with the guys. We were having much better meetings.
“I was able to stay a lot more positive during the year and be like: ‘It’s going to be a long season, but let’s not give up. Let’s keep pushing towards getting the maximum out of the car, whatever that may be.’ (Agencies)
