Can you imagine what the mood at Mercedes would be like right now? For a team that led the sport for as long as it did, the past two years have been extremely difficult. Not only did it have to relinquish its crown to Red Bull, but it has also had to be on the receiving end of its demolition. 2022 was a step into the unknown, but 2023 wasn’t. Even so, the Brackley team didn’t learn from its mistakes until well into this season. And who’s having to bear the brunt of the underperforming W14? Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. But the miseries aren’t all about the W14. The story gets better.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were like this amicable driver pairing, who were never at odds. At least, that was the case for a year and a half. Not anymore, though. For the past two race weekends, they’ve butted heads, and it’s been explosive. The last thing Mercedes needed right now was instability between their drivers, but that’s exactly what it’s got. But as it happens, Hamilton pointed to positive signs amidst this volatile period.

Lewis Hamilton is deriving inspiration from his team

Mercedes went into the summer break a confused operation. After the Belgian GP, Hamilton said, “Through adversity, it builds character and the strength of the team. And one day, we will get back to where we need to be.” Coming out of the break, whether or not it’s gotten more clarity on the W14, the mindset sure has changed. The past two races, in terms of intra-team relations, haven’t been the best. However, the W14 has shown quite a few positive signs. So, what’s changed from the start of the season to now?

Speaking to the media at the Qatar GP, as quoted by The Race, “We have a better process than we’ve ever had before. It’s much more engaging for both George [Russell] and I. We often have meetings where we’re both also in that room together, so we’re able to deep-dive on any questions that the engineers who don’t potentially get to come to the Grands Prix [have]. If they have any questions, they can ask,” explained Hamilton. At the end of the day, it’s the drivers driving the cars. So, the more time engineers have gotten to spend with them, the more it has helped the W14 as well as its efforts for 2024.

Hamilton added, “The other day, I was in the aero department. It’s clear that no one’s happy with where we are and how we’ve done this year, but it was massively encouraging to see how driven everyone was. Everyone’s heads were down. Everyone was at their stations and clearly pushing incredibly hard. For me, that was inspiring to see.” Racing in F1 is a team effort. A team wins together, and a team loses together. Mercedes may be in a lull right now, but Hamilton believes if they keep working together toward their ultimate goal, it’s only a matter of time before they achieve it.

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The best part about the Mercedes operation right now is that it’s ready to change its ways to restore faith in its drivers.

Mercedes’ priority is to get back driver confidence

The race up next is the US GP in Austin. COTA is a track that has suited Mercedes in the past, but it’s been a struggle in recent years. Going into the race, although Mercedes is bringing a modified floor, it’s not sure where the W14 will stand in the pecking order. If you think about it, that’s been Mercedes’ problem the entire season. After carrying over the W13’s concept and revamping the car, the W14 has been a mystery to the team. Going into the summer break, Mercedes didn’t understand the car properly, and the situation is no different now. But it’s getting better, especially with the increased briefings.

The Brackley outfit proved it’s ready for change by accepting its errors with the car’s concept and revamping it. Team Principal Toto Wolff gave his thoughts on the situation to La Gazzetta dello Sport. He said, “We have to get back to basics. We know what we understand and will not pay attention to what we do not understand. The biggest problem is that the drivers have no confidence in the car. We have to give them a solid foundation to score good points.”

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How will Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ newfound inspiration pan out in 2023? Can the seven-time champion secure P2 in the championship for himself?