Lewis Hamilton, the British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, was seen leaving the pits with Aero Rakes during Formula 1 Testing in Sakhir, Bahrain on February 23, 2024.
Former Formula 1 race winner Johnny Herbert has issued a warning to Mercedes, stating that the team could face a decline unless significant progress is made with their Formula 1 car for the 2024 season.
Mercedes had a period of dominance in the sport after the introduction of V6 turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships. However, the team has struggled since the return to ground effect cars in 2022, experiencing their first winless season since 2011.
Initially, Mercedes had faith in their ‘zeropod’ solution but eventually abandoned it during the Monaco Grand Prix. They have now committed to a complete overhaul of their W15 challenger.
Despite finishing the season as Red Bull’s closest competitor in the championship, Ferrari and McLaren made more progress in the development race.
Herbert believes that the 2024 season is crucial for Mercedes. If they fail to make the car competitive, it could lead to a disastrous decline for the team.
“They need to improve their performance,” Herbert stated in his season predictions. “This year is make or break for them. They have been on a downward spiral for the past few years.”
Mercedes’ current concept has not worked, and if it fails again this year, they may find themselves lost without a clear solution.
Lewis Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction with Mercedes’ car design direction, particularly the slim sidepod structure and the forward position of the cockpit. He believed that these factors negatively impacted his driving.
However, Mercedes has addressed these concerns, and both drivers have commented during pre-season testing that the latest car feels better to drive than its predecessor.
Herbert also mentioned that Hamilton’s seating position has been adjusted, moving it further back. This change aims to provide a better connection between the driver and the car, as sitting too far forward can make it feel like the car is pivoting around the driver, causing a lack of control.
It will be interesting to see if these adjustments make the car more consistent and improve Mercedes’ performance in the upcoming season.