The game of holding the right cards. Either you hold all the aces or pull a Hanna Schmitz to defeat the ones leading the game. While it was a rather smooth cruise to the championship for Red Bull in 2022, their nemesis, Mercedes, struggled with a bouncing nightmare of their own. Though the Silver Arrows have made progress, it may not be as good as the Milton Keynes. In the face of Red Bull’s upward trajectory, Lewis Hamilton has decided to stay positive, perhaps cautiously.

Mercedes interpreted the “How to build a car theory” completely wrong when they put out their W13 and the ride was a painful one for all stakeholders involved. While that is already common knowledge, the team came into the new season with renewed zeal. But Hamilton, being a realistic man, knows that his rival, Max Verstappen, has ingredients to come out at the top.

According to the Daily Mail, Hamilton knows that Max Verstappen holds all the cards for the 2023 championship battle.

Lewis, speaking about the Bahrain Pre Season Testing, said, “It’s difficult to know exactly where we stand. It’s going to be tough for everyone.”

When asked if he would elaborate issues that have crept up with W14, he said, “Not really. They’re just things we work through. Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are still there. I’m really proud of the team for staying positive after a tough year.”

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While the Silver Arrows and their champion Hamilton stay positive, they know they have a difficult journey ahead.

“mountain to climb” Lewis Hamilton hands out Mercedes’ Report card.

The incorrect development of W13 still looms over the Brackley outfit. And while the team has improved from the bouncing nightmare they built, Hamilton thinks there is still a long way to go.

As quoted by Sky Sports, Hamilton said, “It’s been an interesting few days, it’s never easy. There’s been a lot of discovery. I think the thing I’ve been most impressed with is, it’s my 11th year with the team and everyone’s turned up with the same mentality, working hard, no one’s been complacent.

He further added, “We realize that we have a mountain to climb and no one’s fussed, everyone has just kept their heads down, so I’m really proud of that.”

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Do you think Mercedes can still be a championship contender? Or should we expect a repeat of last year’s nightmare?