Lewis Hamilton fires warning to Max Verstappen at Mexican GP as Mercedes change focus | F1 | Sport
Lewis Hamilton has sent a warning to Max Verstappen for 2023 and says Mercedes now “know where the car is wrong”. The seven-time champion stressed the Silver Arrows are now aware of what they need to do to improve their package for next season as they look to get involved in the championship fight again.
The Briton warned the team would “take the energy” of not securing a single race win so far this season to ensure that next year’s car is a success. He said ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix: “There is hope there, there is a huge amount of focus. We know where the car is wrong, is not great.
“We know where we need to put it to make it better. So that’s what the kind of focus [is].” Mercedes introduced new upgrades at the United States Grand Prix last weekend in a bid to close the gap to the end of the season.
The changes appeared to work with Hamilton in the fight for victory against Verstappen in Austin. He ultimately finished second to the Dutchman, who has won 13 races this season, however.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff not on same page ahead of Mexico GP
The German manufacturer confirmed the changes were the last upgrades of the season as attention now turns to next season’s design. But, with a clear focus on what is wrong with the W13, the team seem to have have optimism for the next iteration.
Hamilton made the comments when asked by Ted Kravitz if the Mercedes team deserved to win a race this season. Hamilton, 37, added: “I think honestly the whole circus, every team and everybody in every team has been working flat out this year.
“In terms of who deserves more than another, I can comment just on my team, seeing how hard and how deep everyone is focussed and just incredibly determined. Of course they deserve success, but this year we didn’t do the job that the others had done.
“But it would be such a blessing if we doi get a win. I think the emotions that would come out would be unmeasurable.”
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also clarified the team had finally gotten to grips with the issue at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix. The Austrian also suggested the problem was down to a decision the team made on its ride heights late last season.
He explained: “I think we understand more now, what it is where we got it wrong with the car. We can almost trace it back to a single decision last October, we thought we could run the car on the deck, but you can’t, so it’s a small level of hamster steps. As long as the trajectory is going up, even with little backlashes, I think we are on a good path.”
