P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Hamilton makes 2024 plea as McLaren emphasises Mercedes’ plight
Lewis Hamilton believes that the Mercedes Formula 1 team needs to have the greatest six months of development in order to compete with Red Bull in 2024. He expressed frustration with the performance of the Mercedes W14, describing it as difficult to optimize. Hamilton finished fifth in the Suzuka race, 49 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. He acknowledged that improvements have been made based on his feedback, but emphasized that Mercedes needs significant development to close the gap with Red Bull. Hamilton pointed to McLaren’s impressive rate of development as evidence that significant strides in performance are possible. He stated that Mercedes should follow a similar concept and invest in pursuing a ground-effect design philosophy. Hamilton expressed confidence in his team’s ability to make the necessary changes and improve their car’s performance.
Source: The Race
