F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Visits Mercedes Factory As He Pushes For "Quick" Changes

Lewis Hamilton's visit to the Mercedes factory underlines his proactive approach towards pushing for crucial changes to their 2024 F1 car

Following his comments at the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton visited Mercedes' designers, emphasising the urgent need for modifications to their 2024 F1 car. The trip was in line with his commitment to ensuring that necessary changes are swiftly made.

Key Takeaways:

• Lewis Hamilton, after expressing concerns about Mercedes' 2024 F1 car design at the Japanese Grand Prix, visited the team's factory to directly interact with designers.
• Hamilton's Suzuka performance, finishing fifth, accentuated the current challenges of the Mercedes car.
• The British racing icon believes that Mercedes needs to undergo significant development in the coming months to stand a chance against Red Bull next season.

The seven-time world champion has been vocal about his desire to see design changes, shedding light on this during the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton shared:

“I’m hopeful they do the job but that is going to take real changes real quick.” 

The racer had also pledged to visit the wind tunnel at the Mercedes factory, ensuring that his calls for transformation were being heeded. His words, “I can only beat the drum so much,” resonated the importance he places on the impending changes.

Mercedes released photos of Hamilton during his factory visit on Friday. The images revealed an actively engaged Hamilton. 

The recent Japanese Grand Prix was not particularly kind to the Mercedes team, with Hamilton finishing a distant fifth and his teammate George Russell ending two places behind in seventh. This, according to the 38-year-old Briton, underscored the inherent flaws in the current car concept of Mercedes.

Hamilton's concerns are not merely about present circumstances but extend to the future. He highlighted the necessity for Mercedes to embark on the “greatest six months of development that we’ve ever had.” This intensive focus on enhancement is vital if they are to have a realistic shot at rivalling Red Bull next season. Reflecting on the current gap between Mercedes and Red Bull, Hamilton remarked:

“To be two years in and still be a second down compared to the Red Bulls...we need to make sure that we really do a good job over the winter to get back at least half that gap before next year.”