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Mercedes’ progress since its difficult start to 2022 has given Lewis Hamilton confidence
The team were well off the pace in the opening races of the season as they struggled to solve the porpoising problem they encountered with their new W13. They have made clear gains since then and been quick enough to challenge for wins at some races, including last week’s Dutch Grand Prix.
But with Mercedes still yet to score their first victory of 2022, questions have been raised over whether they should persist with their radical, ‘zero sidepod’ design next year. Hamilton is confident the team will find the right answer.
“There is potential in the car,” he said. “We’ve got downforce, it’s just in some places it we’re not able to utilise it. And ride quality, of course, is an area that we can always be better.
“So I’m comfortable the direction that we’re going and have 1,000% confidence in the guys back at the factory, who are stringing together all these pieces of the puzzle, and have no doubt that we will be back in a fighting position next year.”
The team has won the last eight constructors championships in a row, but Hamilton says they are still improving how they develop their cars.
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“We’ve been very strong in the past, we’ve won world titles. But our communication continues to improve.
“We’re holding more meetings and breakout group conversation, I’m trying to just help give as much feedback as I can about what I’m feeling in the car and what are those limitations where I could gain time. These will be things that they won’t be able to see in the data, that the driver is able to bring to it.”
His team mate George Russell says there are some aspects of the current cars performance which continue to puzzle them, such as why they tend to be more competitive in races than they are in qualifying, which is the opposite of what teams tend to encounter with under-performing cars. “After 15 races we’re still trying to comprehend [that],” he said.
“I think there’s no doubt that we’re very good at the tyre temperature management and that probably plays against us in qualifying. I think the midfield cars which potentially induce more temperature into the tyres naturally can afford to go slower on the out-lap, damage the tyre less and then they have even more performance…
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