F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Reveals Huge Sacrifice In This Season's Strategy

The British driver is happy to sacrifice his success this year so the team can focus on next year's car.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he's happy to sacrifice his success this F1 season to improve his chances of taking the championship title in 2024. Mercedes has struggled since the major change in regulations in 2022, but have since begun to find their way after a huge change in concept in Monaco. Now, at the Austrian Grand Prix, Lewis has discussed his thoughts on the W14. 

The first upgrades for the W14 showed up in Monaco. The next package is expected to be ready for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the 7-time champion's home race.

Fortunately for the Mercedes team, Red Bull, which has shown almost complete dominance with their RB19 so far this season, has potentially stopped development on this year's car, so this gives the German constructor a chance to catch up as the Milton Keynes outfit focus on the RB20. 

Talking to Sky F1, Lewis discussed the team's upgrades: 

"I think we have a step coming which I would say is similar to the last step we took, so just small steps in the right direction." He adds, "The car is moving in the right direction.

“I think ultimately it is likely that bit by bit, by the end of the year we will probably catch Red Bull, but that’s only because they’re probably already focusing on next year’s car because they’re so far ahead.

"They don’t have to make any changes to this year’s car anymore, because they’re so far ahead.”

During the qualifiers for the Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes hit a bit of a rough patch as Hamilton landed only P5 on the grid, and his teammate George Russell got knocked out in Q2. It's no wonder Hamilton is eagerly awaiting the Silverstone race, hoping for a new wave of progress.

"More excited obviously for next week because we will take another small step in the right direction," he continued. "And that’s always exciting just to know that we’re making progress.

“And we wouldn’t have had the podiums that we’ve had if it wasn’t for this amazing hard work that has been done back in the factory. With such a strong, determining, focused team.”

The British driver's last podium came at the Canadian Grand Prix, and while he enjoyed the success of this, he's happy to take it all away this year to have a taste of victory in 2024.

"I don’t know, I mean I’m trying to win a race." He expressed hope for getting close to a win but also voiced his preference not to focus too much on winning this year. In his words, "I care less to win a race this year, and more to win the championship next year."