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Formula One F1 – Japanese Grand Prix – Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan – October 6, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix REUTERS/Issei Kato

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Formula One F1 – Japanese Grand Prix – Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan – October 6, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix REUTERS/Issei Kato
Formula 1 is the apex of motorsport and things get real here. However, at times, even the simplest DIY hacks are deployed on the million-dollar machines shouldering billion-dollar empires. During the ongoing Bahrain Pre season testing, one such tactic was used by the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. Team Mercedes saw the footage and brought Lewis Hamilton back into the pit Mercedes, patching the glitch to send Lewis Hamilton out on track again.
Mechanics worked very hard to zero in on the damage and found damage underneath the car towards the rear end. The F1 Pit lane reporter, Sam Collins, said he isn’t sure if it were a single part of the machine that flew out or multiple bits. And as reported by him, the mechanics jacked the car with Hamilton still in it to employ the makeshift solution which involves the usage of duct tape. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the F1 world saw the bizarre duct tape solution being used on the world’s finest machinery. Mercedes probably took a leaf out of the rival clan.

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Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – November 20, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton before the race REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
As quoted by The Mirror, Collins said, “Now they’re trying to make that fix and it looks like quite a long process. Lewis Hamilton is still in the car but they’ve jacked it right up to the ceiling so the team can get underneath it, and there are some bottles and rags on the floor which can indicate a fluid leak, though I don’t see any fluid on the floor at the moment.”
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He further added, “As the action goes on out on track, there’s still a lot of action in the Mercedes garage and there is a lot of tape being applied around the floor. So far from a routine change for the Mercedes team, and a little bit of a lengthy repair for this point in testing. It’s going to set their programme back a little bit.”
While one problem stood fixed, others stared into the eyes of the man who is after his eighth championship.
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Mercedes’ W14 still has limitations, says Lewis Hamilton
To the fan’s delight, the bouncing nightmare of the Silver Arrows might have stopped, but the battle is only halfway through. After overcoming a fundamental issue that the Brackley outfit struggled with for the most part of 2022, the next stop is optimization. Lewis Hamilton believes the car still has limitations.

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Formula One F1 – Mexico City Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – October 29, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during qualifying REUTERS/Carlos Perez Gallardo/Pool
“They are just things that we are working through,” Hamilton said. “Some of the balance limitations that we had last year are just present, so we are just working through them.” He also added, “I think we’ve had a couple of difficult days. Yesterday particularly was difficult. The first day didn’t feel too bad but yesterday was a little bit more of a struggle.”
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Watch This Story: Fresh Heartbreak for Lewis Hamilton as Latest Love Interest “Stops Following Him on Instagram”
If they manage to fix the problem, do you think the Mercedes team can reclaim the former dominant glory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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