Lewis Hamilton expressed reservations about the capability of his Mercedes Formula 1 car, describing it as “peaky,” after a difficult but promising third-place performance at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.
He stated that the car still needs more to be able to properly fight with front-runners like Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. With his first podium since the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, Hamilton’s performance in this race was his best of the season. However, it still left him 17.8 seconds behind Verstappen, with McLaren’s Lando Norris following closely behind.
“We are gradually becoming nearer. You have to take that with a grain of salt since we were really fast here the previous year, but it’s clear that we’ve been competitive in the last few races. Thus, while we have narrowed the difference somewhat, there are still a good few tenths left to find. All we need to do is keep pushing and have all hands on deck,” Hamilton said.
Even if the W15 now has a lighter floor and a redesigned front wing, the British driver emphasized the shortcomings of the latest modifications:
“No, I believe that’s the highest it can go right now. However, we always make small adjustments to fine-tune it. Thus, we constantly adjust it and keep doing so all year long. However, in order to compete with these guys, we need to add a few extra pieces to our already existing setup.”
The Brackley pilot identified handling and tire management as two critical setbacks this season. Hamilton described having trouble with the car’s balance, which made it difficult for him to turn bends cleanly unless everything was perfectly matched.
“This weekend, we were essentially in third or fourth place at our pace. However, I believe that our car is frequently unbalanced because it is typically rather peaky. It’s not often that it’s balanced and flows smoothly around a bend. Now, setup: over the past few years, I’ve certainly experimented a lot with setup, but the car only really likes one setting.
“Driving is starting to get better gradually. and finally tires. For me, tires have been a major problem. We did quite well this weekend, I think. I believe there’s more performance there if I can continue to improve throughout the upcoming events.”
Mercedes needs to tackle several major difficulties in addition to a number of small upgrades, as seen by Hamilton’s results and criticism. Even while the W15’s design has made technological progress, there is a clear need for more significant improvements, which will intensify the team’s development plan in the coming races.
As the season goes on, Hamilton and his group are prepared to push the boundaries of development in an effort to close the gap with their rivals and strengthen their competitive advantage in a season characterized by intense rivalries and quick changes in car performance.
