Lewis Hamilton: I Knew We Were Slow When I First Saw The W14
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his surprise at the Mercedes W14 car design, admitting that he knew it wasn't going to work when he saw it. It deviated from the norms followed by rival teams such as Red Bull and Ferrari, and Hamilton knew from the moment he saw the car that the design philosophy was questionable, as Mercedes persisted with an unorthodox concept featuring the now infamous zero-pod design
Hamilton's Initial Doubts: A Hunch That Proved True
During the FIA press conference leading up to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted that he doesn't see he or his team hitting the top of the grid anytime soon. While this may be a tough pill to swallow, he added that he's instead directing his energy into building the car and supporting his team.
"The comments that I would hear [from the team] is that we probably won't hit the ground straightaway at the front, but we should be there or thereabouts. So it was a bit of a shock when that wasn't obviously the case," he said reflecting on the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The racing superstar revealed his initial concerns about the W14 as soon as he laid eyes on it. He said:
"I knew that we weren't in the right place when you saw the car for the first time, it looked still so much different from those of our competitors."
A Winning Car in the Making?
Despite the W14's sleek appearance, Hamilton's primary focus was on its performance.
"It's always nerve-wracking in that moment, but it looked nice – obviously the colour looks nice, but I honestly don't care what color it is as long as it's quick. But we will hopefully mould it into a winning car at some stage."
He was soon after asked about his comments on the Mercedes team: "That wasn't necessarily the best choice of words," he admitted, after sending mixed messages to his teammates.
Hamilton's Unwavering Faith in Mercedes
"I still have 100% belief in this team, it is my family, and I've been here a long time, so I don't plan on going anywhere else," he says, confirming his place in the Brackley squad.
Acknowledging the team's need to "get on" and make "bold decisions" to catch up with their rivals, Hamilton expressed hope that they could close the gap during the season. He said, "At that point, it'll be probably too late in terms of fighting for a championship, but we can still turn some heads, hopefully."