Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes have to “level up” within the combat to Red Bull and Max Verstappen in 2024.
Verstappen is cruising to a third-straight F1 world title – although can not safe the crown in Japan this weekend after an underwhelming fifth-place end in Singapore – whereas Red Bull are an astonishing 308 factors away from Mercedes within the constructors’ championship.
Hamilton, in the meantime, has not gained in his final 38 races along with his final victory coming in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 – and Mercedes haven’t gained since George Russell’s victory in Brazil final November.
Having ditched their ‘no-sidepod’ design in the beginning of the yr, Mercedes have persevered with a extra orthodox method however stay approach off Red Bull’s tempo.
Yet Hamilton, who lately signed a brand new deal till the top of the 2025 season, has urged the engineers and mechanics at Brackley to give you the instruments to take the combat to Red Bull subsequent yr.
“I was just asked a question earlier, ‘would you rather take Max out of the equation or take Adrian Newey out of the equation?’” Hamilton stated in Singapore.
“And I was like ‘neither’. We just have to level up and do a better job.
“They have done an exceptional job. You can’t fault them for the amazing work that they collectively are doing and have done. I would just want to level up all of us.”
Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes have to ‘level up’ within the combat to Red Bull subsequent yr
(Getty Images)
The 38-year-old, although within the midst of the longest winless streak of his profession, stays optimistic and referred to a bleak interval earlier than his success at Mercedes for proof that fortunes in Formula 1 can flip round.
“I think people just seem to remember the seven years or eight years that we were competitive,” Hamilton added.
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“Don’t forget the years before that where I had pretty interesting cars at that time. So I’ve had years like last year and this year and, of course, when you are faced with adversity and faced with a challenge like we have, collectively as a team you learn more than you do when it’s smooth sailing up front.”
Hamilton, who completed on the rostrum in Singapore, will likely be concentrating on a robust displaying on the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, a race he has gained 5 instances beforehand.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, nonetheless, won’t be current within the paddock at Suzuka as he undergoes knee surgical procedure.
