Lewis Hamilton revealed ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix that he’s “very grateful” to everyone at Mercedes who has helped get the new concept ready, with the Briton admitting that he’s “so excited” to drive what is in many ways a brand-new car.
Hamilton has endured a mixed start to the 2023 Formula 1 season; however, following the opening five rounds he is the leading Mercedes driver, whilst he’s also claimed the team’s only podium of the season.
The seven-time World Champion hasn’t been afraid to admit though, that he hasn’t been happy with the W14, with him having urged for several changes to make him more comfortable.
With Mercedes having introduced their new concept at the Circuit de Monaco, Hamilton now has some huge upgrades to get to grips with, in an attempt to get a “little bit closer” to the front of the field and to make him feel more at home.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
“With the upgrades, it will be difficult to see just how it works at this kind of track,” said Hamilton, as reported by Racefans.net. “But I’m hopeful that it puts us a little bit closer to [the front].
“I don’t think we’ll be fighting for a win, necessarily, but hopefully it’ll be more than a fight.”
The new aerodynamic regulations in general have been a struggle for Hamilton, who hasn’t claimed a race win since they were introduced.
He admits that the team became “lost” last season, with them having struggled to understand how to get on top of their countless issues.
So much work has gone into the new concept though, in an attempt to finally discover the “right path” to catch Red Bull, with Hamilton adding that his side now have a “north star”.
“Last year we were a little bit lost in terms of how to fix the issue that we had,” Hamilton admitted.
“I feel like the team now have a north star, they know exactly where they need to go and we’re working on how to get there.
“The amount of work has gone in is incredible and I’m very, very grateful for the hard work. I’ve been so excited to get in the car and feel these changes and I feel that hopefully puts us on the right path now to progress forward and try and catch the guys ahead.”
READ: Ferrari told to pay Lewis Hamilton $99 million annual salary
Hamilton also explained how “super hungry” the Germans are to return to their dominant ways, with several employees amongst the side having not been with the Silver Arrows during their superior era.
“As the sport continues to grow, there’s more and more people coming onto the team,” Hamilton said.
“There’s a lot of people on the team that have had all the success that we’ve had in the past and there’s a lot of people that haven’t had that success yet and are super hungry. I’m really encouraged when I do go back to the factory and see just how hard everyone’s working.”