F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Contradicted by Mercedes Technical Director - "I Don't Want To Judge"

Lewis Hamilton is uncomfortable with his current seat position in his W14 F1 car but Mercedes's Technical Director suggests it's not a big deal

Lewis Hamilton has played a huge role in the development of the Mercedes W14 F1 car that continues to receive upgrades. His praises and criticisms have helped the team to bring the car to the stage where it is today.  

Among the complaints, however, was one to do with Hamilton's seat being pushed further toward the cockpit. Hamilton prefers having his seat pushed backward from where it is today. 

Hamilton's discomfort in the cockpit is definitely a concern for the seven-time World Champion but Mercedes technical director James Allison says there are more important issues to address that relate to the car's handling.

According to Allison, if Hamilton's seat position is changed in the upcoming race, it will be done from the point of view of performance and not comfort alone. Further upgrades on the W14 F1 car are due for the British GP at Silverstone.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, Allison said:

“Lewis doesn’t like the handling of the car and he sits in a different position compared to before.

Whether one is connected to the other, I don’t want to judge.

I had some conversations with Lewis about it. I don’t think the seating position is a big factor in the problems he feels with the car.

It’s not like we’re talking about 20 centimeters. Lewis has driven cars where he has sat even further forward.

What he is right about is the criticism of the car’s road holding. It is our task to eliminate this weakness – because that is lap time.

If we change the seating position, it is for many other reasons and not because we think that alone will solve all the problems for Lewis.”

We're unsure if there has been a disconnect between Hamilton and Allison. The former has only spoken of his concern about the seat's position whereas the latter has linked it to the car's handling. 

What we do know is that the upgrades on the W14 have been helping the team as they scored two podium finishes in the last two races- P2 in Spain and P3 in Canada.