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Hamilton lays down target as Mercedes battle ‘knife-edge’ car
Lewis Hamilton believes that Mercedes needs to reduce its deficit to Red Bull by at least 50% in the 2024 season, especially with the challenges posed by the ground-effect regulations. Since the introduction of the new technical rules in 2022, Red Bull has excelled, while Mercedes has only managed to secure one victory, and Hamilton’s winless streak dates back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite being in a battle with Ferrari for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes is more than double the points behind Red Bull’s RB19, and Hamilton is 95 points behind Max Verstappen’s 400 points if they were considered as only drivers. The W14 car has proven difficult to set up during race weekends, with Hamilton urging the team to find a solution for the challenging handling issues. Hamilton describes the car as being on a “knife edge”, where it is either experiencing significant oversteer or understeer, making it hard to achieve the desired balance. This difficult situation makes it crucial for the team to make significant progress and regain at least half of the deficit to Red Bull before the next season.
Source: RacingNews 365
