Lewis Hamilton believes three groups – Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin – should retire to ensure that Mercedes to win on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes, so dominant in Formula 1 from 2014-2021 with eight Constructors’ Championships, had a season to overlook in 2022 as new rules caught them out they usually completed third within the standings.
The Silver Arrows endured a disastrous begin within the opening race of 2023 in Bahrain, with Toto Wolff insisting they should ditch their distinctive “zero-pod” philosophy as a way to be aggressive once more. Hamilton completed fifth, whereas team-mate George Russell got here house a lowly seventh.
And Hamilton – who final received an F1 race on the Jeddah monitor in December 2021, 24 grand prix in the past – admitted it was a “shock” when he first drove the W14 automobile final month, acknowledging that three groups are at the moment forward of them.
“Once I drove the car for the first time, you start to do that [re-assess goals] with the challenges you’re facing,” the 38-year-old mentioned.
“It’s a similar situation to last year – it’s a shock when the car isn’t where you want it to be but you have 100% faith in the people you work with. We’re not where we want to be and we need to keep working on it.
“We need the Red Bulls and Ferraris not to finish the race, maybe the Astons too, to be winning [ourselves]. It doesn’t mean we can’t catch them up – no one at this team has shied away from a challenge.”
The seven-time world champion additionally implored the group to “make some bold decisions”, hinting at a contemporary automobile strategy given the shortcomings in Bahrain, whereas regretting stating that the group “didn’t listen to him” about adjustments to the W14.
“In hindsight, it wasn’t the best choice of words,” Hamilton admitted.
“There are times you’re not in agreement with certain team members but we continue to communicate. I have 100% belief in this team, they’re family, I have no intention of going anywhere else.
“But the proof is in the pudding and we have to now make some bold decisions and big moves to close the gap to these guys.
“They [Red Bull] most probably will run away with it this year unless Ferrari can stop them. At some point in the year. we hope to close the gap but it’ll probably be too late for a Championship.”
Max Verstappen, in the meantime, was not current for media duties in Saudi Arabia having skilled a abdomen bug this week, although the Red Bull driver is predicted to be within the cockpit for observe on Friday.