F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Needs More From Mercedes 'To Compete With These Guys'

Lewis Hamilton is pushing Mercedes for significant technical advancements to bridge the gap with leading teams following a distant third-place finish in the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (GBR) races during the qualifying session of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Lewis Hamilton's ongoing struggle with the performance of his Mercedes Formula 1 car was brought into stark relief after the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, where he finished a distant third, 17.8 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen from Red Bull. This marked Hamilton's best finish of the season and his first return to the podium since the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix. Despite the improved result, Hamilton underscored the need for significant technical advancements to bridge the gap with leaders.

"We're slowly getting closer. Last year, we were very fast here, so you have to take it with a pinch of salt, but obviously, the last couple of races we've been relatively competitive. So, I think we have closed the gap a little bit, but we still have a good couple of tenths to try and find. We just have to have all hands on deck and keep pushing," Hamilton explained after the race.

Hamilton provided insight into the constraints of the current car setup, calling it "peaky". Despite recent updates to the W15, which included a new front wing concept and a lighter floor aimed at pushing the boundaries of the car's performance, Hamilton expressed concerns about the car's capacity to improve further under the existing configuration.

"No, I think that's the maximum it's got at the moment. But we're always fine-tuning it with subtle changes that we make. So, we are always fine-tuning it, and we continue to tune it through the year. But we need to bolt some stuff on, some extra bits to be able to compete with these guys," he stated.

Throughout the season, the 7-time champion has wrestled with issues of car balance and tire management, noting that unless the setup is precisely adjusted, the car becomes difficult to handle.

"Our pace is where we were, basically – third or fourth this weekend. But I think our car is generally quite peaky and that means that it's often out of balance. It's very rare that it's in balance and it's nice and smooth through a corner. So, set-up – I've obviously experimented a lot with set-up over the last couple of years, but the car doesn't really like any of the set-ups but one. It's slowly starting to become nicer to drive. And ultimately, tires. Tires have been a huge issue for me. So, I think we got it half-decent this weekend. If I can make some improvements over the course of the next races, I think there's more performance there," he further detailed.

Despite these challenges, Hamilton remains optimistic about making the necessary adjustments to improve performance. The ongoing development battle within Brackley suggests a continuous push towards regaining top form, but only time will tell if these efforts will enable Hamilton and his team to close the substantial gap to their competitors. For now, Hamilton’s call for more aggressive upgrades reflects a straightforward assessment of what is needed to reclaim championship contention.