Lewis Hamilton Optimistic about Mercedes’ Performance After Notable Improvements with W14 in Monaco
In the thrilling race at Monte Carlo, Lewis Hamilton secured a fourth-place finish after starting from fifth on the grid, closely trailing Esteban Ocon by a mere two seconds.
Hamilton’s position was elevated thanks to a strategic move by Ferrari, opting to bring Carlos Sainz in for a tire change on Lap 33, giving Mercedes the advantage. Hamilton capitalized on George Russell’s mistake at Mirabeau, swiftly reclaiming his position.
With Mercedes achieving fourth and fifth place, Hamilton expressed his joy during media interactions, affirming the success of the decision to introduce the W14 upgrades, which included a new sidepod design. These enhancements proved fruitful despite the unique challenges posed by the Monaco circuit.
“I’m really happy. We moved forwards and, coming into the weekend, I didn’t know where we would stand,” Hamilton told Sky F1.
“So to come out fourth and fifth, it was really great points for the team. It’s a huge thank you to everyone back at the factory for pushing and bringing those upgrades.
“There’s so much work to bring those here and we kept in one piece and we brought it home. We beat the Ferraris, we really got some good points today as a team.”
Lewis Hamilton was asked if he noticed a difference in the handling of the W14 after the improvements were installed, and if he expects a stronger weekend next week in Barcelona, a more ‘typical’ F1 track. The Circuit de Catalunya, according to Hamilton, will allow for more improving of the new components.
“Next week, Barcelona is the best test bench circuit for us. It was really difficult here to really know,” he said, before explaining he could feel a clear difference compared to the old-spec even at Monte Carlo.
“The car feels very stiff, there’s a lot of bumps – it’s tricky.
“I definitely noticed one particular part with the car which is better but I don’t know how that’ll be next week. I’m sure the whole thing will be a much, much better package next week.”
