Lewis Hamilton Applauds Mercedes Team Effort as “Massively Encouraging” Ahead of F1 Season

Lewis Hamilton has lauded the efforts of the Mercedes team over the winter break and during the pre-season test in Bahrain, describing their performance as “massively encouraging” ahead of the upcoming Formula 1 season.

“It’s massively encouraging and great to see everyone working so well together. The focus, determination, and communication is the best I’ve ever seen.

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Once the dominant force in F1, Mercedes faced challenges in the past two campaigns, securing just one victory and trailing behind pace-setters Red Bull by a significant margin. However, Hamilton and teammate George Russell have expressed optimism about the team’s prospects for the 2024 season, praising the improvements made to the car.

“We know we’ve got work to do and we’re not yet where we want to be. We knew that would be the case coming into the test though. We’ve got a great platform to build on.

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“We’ll go away and work hard over the next couple of days to go through all the data from the test. I’m really excited for the start of the season next week and we’ll be heading into it in good shape.”

Hamilton commended the dedication of the entire Mercedes workforce, both at the trackside and back at the factory, highlighting their focus, determination, and communication as the best he has ever seen. Despite acknowledging that there is still work to be done, Hamilton expressed confidence in the team’s ability to build on their progress and prepare for the season opener.

“Over the course of the test we’ve made good steps on our understanding of the car. The task of the next few days is to pick through the results and put together the best package to take into the race weekend.”

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Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, emphasizing the positive feedback from the drivers regarding the new W15 car compared to its predecessor. Shovlin noted the team’s efforts to address handling flaws from the previous model and expressed optimism about the progress made during the pre-season test.

While cautious about making predictions based on testing, Shovlin highlighted Mercedes’ improved position compared to the previous year and emphasized the team’s focus on final preparations for the season opener. With the start of the new season on the horizon, Mercedes appears poised for a competitive campaign as they aim to reclaim their status at the forefront of Formula 1.

“We’ve got a busy few days ahead now making our final preparations for the season-opener, and we’re already looking forward to the race weekend and the season ahead.”