Lewis Hamilton unhappy with Mercedes seat position as he details struggles with W14 F1 car
The seven-time world champion finished fifth in the season-opener in Bahrain but was easily beaten by teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell across the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend🃏.
Hamilton admit🍃ted he “doesn’t feel connected” to Mercedes’ latest challenger and claimed after the Jeddah race 𓃲that his teammate’s superior performance was down to a lucky set-up choice.
But Hamilton has now detailed the exဣact issues he is facing in the W14, which are being exacerbated by feeling uncomfortable with the positioning of the cockpit.
"I don't know if people know, but we sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers. Our cockpit is too close to the front,” Hamilton said ahead of the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Australian Grand Prix.
"When you're driving, you feel li♊ke you're sitting on the front wheels, which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you're driving a car.
"If you were 𓆉driving your ജcar at home and you pulled the wheels right underneath your legs, you would not be happy when you're approaching the roundabout.
"What 🐻that does is it really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. And it makes it harder to predict compared to when you're further back and sitting more centred.
“It is just som🐼ething I have really struggled🌱 with.”
Hamilton stressed the💃 positioning “100%” needs to be changed in the future.
“I listened to t🍎he team and that was the direction that they said that we should g🔯o,” he added.
“Had I known the feeling that I would have iꦬn it, it wouldn’t have happened. And 💧it has to change for the future. 100%.”
The 38-year-old Briton also said the aero ch🐎aracteristics on this year’s Mercedes are “just too far♉ forwards”
“We still have generally a very🐽 strong front and not as good a rear as we would hope to💃 have,” Hamilton explained.
“If you look at the Red Bulls🌃, the places🐻 where they get on the power earlier and the speed they can take through the corners is just because they have a much stronger rear end.”
Mercedes recovery ‘could take a long time’
Mercedes have already begun redesigning their car after accepting that continuing to pur꧂sue their unconventio🍨nal sidepod concept was a mistake.
Hamilton, who is out of contract at the end of the year and yet to sign a new deal, warned “iဣt could take a long time” before Mercedes can compete with Red Bull at the front of the grid.
"There is a part of me that is just hopeful we find the trick and are straight on to the🍷 rightꦕ track that is not far away from the others," Hamilton said.
"We have shown in the past that we can develop quickly and hope that is the case that a🍌s the potential of the car opens up, we will full steam ahead in that direc🐼tion. I am grateful they are open to making a shift and not being stuck with what we have and I am aware it could take a long time.
Hamilton added: "Iꦬf you look at the Red Bull, it is just going to continue to evolve most likely.
"Some cars do plateau in terms of ༺performance. At some point it can't just keep💯 going. But maybe it can.
"They have a great te🐽am around them and I am sure they will continue to ꦰadd downforce.
"We just have to make sure w♒hen we do make the change hopefully the drop isn't too far.
“Iꦚt is going to take us the rest of the year for sure to potentially close that 💞gap."
Lewis regulꦐarly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the gro༒und, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
