After being highly critical of the W14 in the opening rounds of the season, Lewis Hamilton has been significantly happier since the introduction of the new concept.
Mercedes introduced a new concept of the W14 at the Monaco Grand Prix, which saw the side scrap their questionable ‘zero sidepods’.
Since switching concepts, the Silver Arrows have finished no lower than fifth.
They remarkably claimed a double podium recently at the Spanish Grand Prix, marking the first-time the team had both drivers on the rostrum since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.
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Despite all the positives, one negative still remains for Hamilton, which won’t be addressed until 2024.
Hamilton has complained about how close to the front wheels he currently sits, to the extent where he admitted that he sits “closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers”.
The 38-year-old has therefore asked Mercedes to change their chassis, allowing him to sit towards the rear of the car.
However, nothing can be done about the issue this year, due to the budget cap.
“There’s nothing you can do about it, that’s just the way it is,” Hamilton said, as reported by the Express.co.uk.
“The only thing you can do ultimately is just trying to slow the rate of rotation, stabilise the rear end.
“So that’s just something you try to do on mechanical balance. But we’re just limited with the tools you have. It’s the same ones as last year.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff addressed Hamilton’s request at the start of the season, where the Austrian revealed that there simply isn’t “enough budget in the cost cap” to make it happen this year.
“No, it’s out of question that you change a chassis because simply there’s not enough budget in the cost cap,” Wolff said in March.
“Changing the way the aero works, the bodywork, it’s perfectly in scope.”
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He added: “I think the budget cap in a way has more positives than negatives, but obviously if you’re on the backfoot like we are at the moment it doesn’t allow you to build a second chassis.
“I think our fundamental problem is not building a second chassis or throwing stuff at the car, it’s more about the direction that we have taken is wrong and I think when we change it now that’s going to be limited by the budget cap but not in the way that you would expect like we’re not able to develop. We’re still able to develop but it will mean we need to spend time on a new concept, on new ideas rather than discontinue the old one.
“In the short term it could mean you take a step back before making two forward. These are the rules.”