The crybaby of the F1 grid. Lewis Hamilton’s criticism has once again put him in the F1 headlines. However, in a negative light this time around. A Former Bridgestone engineer accused the 7X Champion of creating a “panic situation” at Mercedes as he points towards Lewis’ criticism of the W14. The consequence of this criticism and demands has made Toto Wolff hang the flag up as he gives up on the dream of the 2023 championship.

At the beginning of the 2023 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton criticized Mercedes for not listening to his advice regarding the problems with the car and continuing with the zeropod concept. As the 7x world champion urged Mercedes to change the concept, Toto Wolff and Co. decided to listen to the Briton. However, the W14 with the zeropod design is not as bad as we thought and has shown significant improvements over all three races. The pace was evident in Australia when Hamilton managed to keep Fernando Alonso at bay.

Nevertheless, Mercedes has already begun working on a new concept which is expected to arrive in time for Emilia Romagna GP. Kees van der Grint, former Bridgestone engineer suggests that it was Lewis Hamilton’s demands and criticism that made the Silver Arrows change the concept despite it showing promising data in the simulations. The 7X champ expects the new package to turn the W14 into a rocketship, whereas the Mercedes CEO has other expectations.

Toto Wolff explained his realistic expectations from the new package, suggesting they won’t directly be able to catch the Red Bull. The upgrades will be more on the lines of steady and consistent improvement. Der Grint explained how Hamilton caused panic at Mercedes and which resulted in people leaving with James Allison and Mike Elliott swapping paces. He further implied that Toto Wolff’s comments about realism hinted that the Austrian has already given up on the 2023 season.

According to Express.co.uk, Kees van der Grint said “That might say something about the people who left. I think the sounds are more in the panic atmosphere,” Talking about Wolff’s expectations, he added, “You can also hear that from Wolff, he has actually already given up.”

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While the W14 with the zeropod concept may have shown good numbers in simulation and it might actually have the performance, the car is nothing without a driver’s skill. Lewis Hamilton explained how he felt disconnected from the car and hence is not able to take the performance out of it. The Briton later explained the biggest problem that he has with the W14.

Lewis Hamilton explains why he struggles with the W14 and its biggest problem

We know it may sound like we’re romanticizing, but the relationship between an F1 driver and the car is very special. It’s almost like being in love where the drivers need to understand how the car works the best with the car providing the driver the feel and confidence depending on the driver’s style. Lewis Hamilton has always loved an oversteering car. The forward seating position W14 with an oversteering setup would mean that the Briton is not able to feel what the car is doing underneath him.

According to planetf1.com, Lewis Hamilton said, “If you look at the past, I’ve always enjoyed an oversteering car. I don’t know if people know, we sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers. Our cockpit is too close to the front. When you’re driving, you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you’re driving a car.”

Suggesting how the position affects the driving, the 38-year-old said, “So, what that does is it just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. And it makes it harder to predict, compared to when you’re further back and you’re sitting closer, more center. “It’s just something I’ve really struggled with.”

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What do you make of Lewis Hamilton creating a panic situation at Mercedes?