Optimism and Lewis Hamilton have found each other again. Since Formula 1 introduced the new generation of cars in 2022, Mercedes has had little success. Instead of joy, the cars from Brackley led to frustration. Now, thanks to upgrades in Miami and Imola, things seem to be going in the right direction and Hamilton has been gripped by optimism again.
“We don’t have any upgrades this weekend,” says Hamilton. “But we have adapted our package. For Monaco we have the highest downforce we can manage and a more developed wing. But other than that we don’t really know much about our performance this weekend.”
Nevertheless, the Mercedes driver is confident because he is starting to like the W15 more. “Compared to the two previous cars, I am much more enthusiastic about this one,” said the record world champion. The W13 and W14 had given Mercedes quite a bit of trouble after the team initially opted for the wrong concept in 2022. “The two predecessors were not so great,” Hamilton laughed. “Of course, we are still working on this year’s car, but I think that we will be much better here in Monaco than we were last year.”
“In a perfect world, things go well from the start, but that hasn’t been the case in recent years,” said the record world champion. “I’m going into this weekend with more confidence, though. This car is a lot more predictable and a lot more fun to drive. It’s still not perfect, but it’s going in the right direction.”
Hamilton: Last year the Mercedes was much worse in Monaco
The Silver Arrows seem to particularly enjoy low-speed sections, which are good conditions for the Circuit de Monaco. However, Hamilton doesn’t think that will be the deciding factor this weekend.
“It is believed that our car is better in low-speed corners, but I don’t think that’s really the case,” reflects the Mercedes driver. “If you look at Suzuka, I would say we were very slow there. Jeddah, on the other hand, at high speed, was not terrible. So I have little idea what it will really be like tomorrow.”
Not much of a clue, but definitely better. Hamilton is becoming more confident. “We should perform well here,” says the Briton. “The car is starting to move in the right direction and the balance between low-speed and high-speed performance is improving. I hope we’ve hit a good point there. Last year the car was much worse in Monaco and we weren’t that far off in qualifying.”
Speaking of qualifying in Monaco. Rain threatens in Monte Carlo on Saturday. MSM has the full one Weather report for the F1 GP in the Principality.