Mercedes has really been swinging back and forth in terms of car performance in 2023. While the Brackley-based team did make some significant gains earlier in the year, their efficacy seems to have slowed down a bit as the season has progressed. And if that isn’t enough cause for concern, the demons of 2022 have seemingly crept back into the team as revealed by their talisman, 7x champion, Lewis Hamilton.

No one can deny the apparent impact of the 2022 regulation reset. However, as a result of the overhaul, some teams won big, whilst others lost a whole load. Mercedes can be categorized in the latter spectrum of things. The other teams have seemingly improved and addressed those issues, but at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows seem to have regressed.

Lewis Hamilton gives Mercedes a damning reality check

Throughout the 44-lap race, the Silver Arrows were struggling to cope. F1 veteran, Martin Brundle even commented on how stiff the rear end of George Russell‘s W14 looked as it navigated the bus stop chicane. And after the race, Hamilton corroborated this, whilst adding a whole new dimension to their problems.

Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 as quoted by F1 Maximaal, “The back of our car was a big problem. We also suffered from the bounce, which we also had last year. We will work with the data we have and then see what we can do at the next race.” [translated via Google]

Hamilton may not have forgotten the awful bouncy nature of the Mercedes W13. So he would want the team to address this issue quickly before it gets out of hand for their 2023 quests, The bane of porpoising may have returned for Lewis Hamilton and Co. but the 38-year-old is now only focused on recharging his batteries for the 2nd half of the season.

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Hamilton sends strong message after Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton knows that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. However, he is also acutely aware of the arduous road that he must embark on with his team to get there. Hence, he has now placed his focus on minimal gains. After yet another tough outing at Spa, Hamilton tried his best to gee his team up.

He came onto his team radio comms to say, “Yeah, let’s keep pushing. We definitely have a lot of work to do with the cars. But I’m grateful for all the hard work. Enjoy your break.” 

Can Lewis Hamilton and Co. get their act together in the second half of the 2023 Formula 1 season?

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