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FORMULA ONE

F1 News: Mercedes Will Fulfil Lewis Hamilton’s Wishes In Next Car

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Lewis Hamilton will be a happy man in 2024.

With Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison back in the role, Lewis Hamilton’s wish is set to be fulfilled, as he is ready to receive the 2024 W15 F1 car tailored to his specifications.

Hamilton’s request for a modified cockpit position appears to have been granted, and the British driver is eager to get behind the wheel of the new car. He has expressed his enthusiasm about moving on from the W14 at the end of the previous season.

The seven-time world champion had requested that the cockpit position be moved further back in the upcoming W15. According to Motorsport.com Italia, this request has been met. This development follows James Allison’s mid-season return to the role of technical director last year, while Mike Elliott took on the role of Chief Technical Officer before later leaving the team.

Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes

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FORMULA ONE

Hamilton’s confession that leaves him in a bad place

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Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he does not like to participate in F1 tests. The seven-time champion has gone even further in exposing his particular phobia to the classic tests to improve the Mercedes.

During an event in Brackley, Toto Wolff, Mick Schumacher (reserve of the star squad) and Hamilton himself appeared before the assembled crowd and at that moment everyone wondered where the absent George Russell was. The excuse was given that the young British talent was ill… when he was not.

Afterwards, ’44’ took advantage of the juncture to make a surprising confession. “When Toto said on our visit to the factory that George was ill, something came into my head that had to do with me. That’s something I’ve done in the past to miss test days, as it’s not something I like. So when I heard that, I thought, ‘He’s outdone me, he’s gone to another level,'” Lewis said in a statement reported by RaceFans.

Lewis’ win drought

The fact is that the 38-year-old competitor needs to get his act together if he wants to return to past glories. He has not won a race for two years (his last triumph dates back to 2021, when he won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix) and needs Mercedes to get it right once and for all with the new single-seater. Incidentally, the 2024 W15 will be unveiled on Tuesday, February 14 next year.

Precisely, Valentine’s Day is also the date chosen by McLaren for the unveiling of the car to be driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

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FORMULA ONE

George Russell sent Lewis Hamilton warning shot ahead of fresh Mercedes battle

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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have shared some intense battles since partnering up at Mercedes, both on track and in the standings.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Previews

Lewis Hamilton had the better of his team-mate throughout the 2023 season (Image: Getty)

Lewis Hamilton will beat George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship standings for the second season running in 2024, according to Express Sport readers. The seven-time world champion enjoyed the better of the team-mate battle at Mercedes in 2023.

When Russell arrived at Mercedes as Valtteri Bottas’ replacement ahead of the 2022 season, he was billed as a future world champion, and his one-off outing for the team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix suggested that he had the potential to be a threat to his legendary team-mate right out of the blocks.

This transpired to be true as Russell finished in the top five at 15 of the first 16 races of the season, demonstrating staggering consistency. Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled with the unpredictable balance of the W13, while also taking a more experimental approach to race-day set-ups as Mercedes attempted to solve their extreme porpoising issues.

A first-ever Grand Prix victory arrived in Sao Paulo as Russell led home a one-two finish for the team before a mechanical DNF in Abu Dhabi sealed Hamilton’s fate in the head-to-head battle. When the chequered flag waved at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 25-year-old was 35 points clear of the seven-time world champion in the standings.

Despite this setback, Hamilton roared back in 2023, finishing in the top ten of every race in which he was classified as he sealed third place in the Drivers’ Championship with one round to spare. Russell, meanwhile, ended the year down in eighth place with just two podium finishes to his name following a messy campaign.

Following a survey of 5,791 Express Sport readers, 60 per cent believe that Russell will finish behind Hamilton again when the 2024 season comes to an end next December. Furthermore, 57 per cent of those questioned believe that he will never win a Drivers’ Championship title during his Mercedes career.

Russell has been self-aware regarding his struggles in 2023. Speaking to Motor Sport, he explained: “No doubt, it’s been probably the toughest season I’ve ever had psychologically. Bouncing back from missed opportunities, missed results, mistakes.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Practice

George Russell was beaten by Lewis Hamilton throughout the 2023 campaign (Image: Getty)

“I think this is when you push yourself. I could comfortably lift my foot off the gas pedal and drive a per cent below the limit and I could sit here right now and tell you that I wouldn’t make a single mistake.

“And probably when I sit through my Championship years, I probably wasn’t being pushed as much as I’m pushing myself now. I’m purposely trying to push myself further and beyond, and I’m not satisfied with just being on par with my team-mate in qualifying or whatever it may be.”

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FORMULA ONE

Toto Wolff reveals Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s biggest challenge in 2024

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will be desperate for Mercedes to improve next season.

Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to set the right expectations next year

Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to set the right expectations next year (Image: MERCEDES)

Toto Wolff has insisted that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will need to manage their expectations in order to help Mercedes close the gap to Red Bull next year. The Silver Arrows have lagged well behind their rivals over the last two seasons, with Red Bull simply in a league of their own as things stand.

Mercedes ended up finishing 451 points adrift of Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings last season after failing to win a single Grand Prix all year long. They will be desperate to perform better at the next time of asking but will face a tricky task in closing down their bitter rivals at the front of the pecking order.

Wolff believes that Mercedes will need to set the right standards in order to stand the best chance of catching up, with the Silver Arrows taking plenty of ‘proactive steps’ behind the scenes.

The Silver Arrows have lagged behind Red Bull for the last two seasons

The Silver Arrows have lagged behind Red Bull for the last two seasons (Image: GETTY)

Quizzed on what his team’s biggest challenge will be in 2024, Wolff told Mercedes’ official channels: “It’s to set the expectations right because we have a huge mountain to climb. There’s a team that is so successful and we have a big gap to close. At the same time, I believe we’ve taken some proactive steps to close that gap.

“Is it going to be good enough? I don’t know, but we’re going to see it in testing and then in the first race in Bahrain. I’m super excited. I’d like to start going now. It’s the stopwatch that’s going to tell us what job we’ve done.”

It remains to be seen if Mercedes will fare better in 2024 after enduring another difficult campaign over the last 12 months. They finished the season on a high by beating Ferrari to second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings but they will be determined to put a greater deal of pressure on Red Bull next time around.

Wolff and Mercedes will have the opportunity to make a fresh start next year

Wolff and Mercedes will have the opportunity to make a fresh start next year (Image: GETTY)

“We learned a lot,” added Wolff as he reflected on last season. “The races and the seasons that are difficult are the ones where you learn the most, and we always say, the days we lose are the days our competitors are going to regret because we learn the most.

“I think there are so many lessons that we learned as an organisation, as humans, but also technically that will be beneficial going forward. I wouldn’t be able to pick one out, though, because there are so many things that we have looked at that will help us progress over the next year.”

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FORMULA ONE

Lewis Hamilton fashion sense unlocks alternative title scene after F1 2023 troubles

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Lewis Hamilton in attendance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton in attendance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

While Lewis Hamilton may have found himself absent from the title and victory scene again in F1 2023, his attire has seen him named among the best-dressed men of 2023.

Hamilton and his Mercedes team had hoped that F1 2023 would mark their return to title contention, Hamilton pursuing what would be a record-breaking eighth World Championship, though this did not come to pass.

Red Bull would once more control proceedings, taking their dominance to new heights in F1 2023 by winning 21 of the 22 grands prix, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz inflicting their only defeat, while Mercedes and Hamilton were left with a winless campaign, Hamilton now not taking to the top step of the podium since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Lewis Hamilton joins best-dressed 2023 list

Every cloud has a silver lining though, as they say.

As a seven-time World Champion, with the most wins, poles and podiums among his F1 records, Hamilton has established himself as arguably the most marketable driver on the grid, while he is also noted for his striking fashion sense around the paddock.

And his style has seen him make the cut with Essence for their best-dressed men of the year 2023.

‘Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been championing black designers since he’s been growing in popularity,’ the publication notes.

‘Hamilton went to The Met Gala in 2021 and made sure his entire table was filled with emerging black designers like Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, Kenneth Nicholson and Jason Rembert of Aliétte.

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‘You’ll often see the driver in the front row at Fashion Week wearing bold and colorful outfits by brands like Off-White and Valentino.

‘His Grand Prix entrances are our favorite part of the racing sport. Hamilton has created a space for fashion in F1 by expressing himself through his style.’

Hamilton is named among a collection of high-profile celebrity figures in this best-dressed list, including music icons Usher and Pharrell Williams, to Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As Hamilton now recharges ahead of a targeted F1 2024 title push, the seven-time champion recently threw his backing behind Mercedes team principal and one-third owner Toto Wolff, as the eight-time Constructors’ champions look to emerge from their slump and return to winning ways.

“Toto is an amazing leader,” Hamilton said at the FIA Prize Giving Gala when asked about Wolff’s continued influence at Mercedes.

“Obviously, I’ve known him for a long time, we joined the team at the same time and it’s been an interesting journey for both of us to both grow with the team, to see his vision grow and progress within the structure of the team.

“He hasn’t lost an ounce of his competitiveness, he is massively competitive. You see it on TV when he’s sitting at his little desk in the garage, and trying to find a balance in life of, you know, work life and family life – I think he’s done a really great job there.

“But I think just continuing to push everyone, yesterday, again, we were talking to the team together.

“He’s a very, very approachable leader. I think people can relate to him, to his emotions and just to his compassion, or his drive. He’s very understanding.

“I think it’s definitely not been easy for anybody in the team when you’re working towards something, but it’s not quite going the way you want it.

“I think there have been many lessons and I’ve been really proud to see the progress that he’s made just as an individual, as a human being as well.”

Hamilton signed a new Mercedes contract during F1 2023, committing him to the team until the end of 2025.

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FORMULA ONE

F1 LIVE: Three F1 teams confirm name changes as Lewis Hamilton left ‘proud’ of Toto Wolff

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Express Sport keeps you up to date with all of the latest F1 news as the winter break continues.

Toto Wolff Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton still believes in Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff (Image: Getty)

The winter break may be underway, but there is still plenty happening in the world of F1 as the dust settles on a 2023 season to remember. Most of the eyes will be on Red Bull when the cars return to the track for testing as the reigning champions look to cement their considerable advantage.

Christian Horner’s team won 21 of the 22 Grands Prix that took place during the 2023 season with the only other race win coming from Ferrari after Carlos Sainz pipped Lando Norris to victory in Singapore.

There was far less to celebrate in the Mercedes camp. The Silver Arrows may have pipped Ferrari to second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, but the unpredictable behaviour of the W14 frustrated both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell throughout the year.

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FORMULA ONE

Mercedes investigating Lewis Hamilton data as George Russell admits to being perplexed

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Mercedes have plenty of work to do this winter following a disappointing campaign.

F1 Abu Dhabi Testing

George Russell was confused by the pace difference between himself and Lewis Hamilton this year (Image: Getty)

Mercedes are looking into the considerable pace differentials between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at different races throughout the season after the latter discussed his confusion over the big performance gaps experienced by the two drivers on a week-to-week basis.

The two Mercedes drivers were split at 11-all in the qualifying head-to-head battle following Russell’s impressive display in Abu Dhabi, although neither of the pair were happy with the state of the W14’s development come the final race of the year.

Despite Hamilton having the upper hand in more of the races, there were plenty of occasions when Russell would be the more dominant driver throughout a race weekend before the pendulum would swing again at the next event.

“It’s definitely something we’ve noticed,” Russell explained after the final race of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit. “Lewis and I, over the course of the year, I don’t think we’ve ever been at the same pace.

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FORMULA ONE

Lewis Hamilton gives glowing tribute to Michael Schumacher in new documentary

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Lewis Hamilton has paid tribute to Michael Schumacher in a new German documentary about the Ferrari legend, labelling the fellow seven-time F1 world champion as simply a “full out great racer.”

Hamilton raced in Formula 1 against Schumacher for three years when the German came out of retirement in 2010. The Brit then replaced the German at Mercedes following the 2012 season.

Now, Hamilton has contributed to an upcoming documentary to air in Germany, titled Being Michael Schumacher, nearly 10 years since Schumacher suffered a near-fatal injury during a skiing accident in Meribel, France.

Hamilton also referenced Schumacher’s victory at Imola in 1994, on the day his hero Ayrton Senna tragically died following a crash.

“A full out great racer,” said Hamilton, in tribute to Schumacher.

“He won the race when Ayrton died. [He was just] winning everything!”

Hamilton and Schumacher hold the record for the most Formula 1 world championships with seven apiece.

Lewis Hamilton has given a glowing tribute to Michael Schumacher in a new documentary (Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton has given a glowing tribute to Michael Schumacher in a new documentary (Getty Images)

In the same documentary, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso also lauded how Schumacher changed the way drivers approached Formula 1 and their preparation for races.

“I lost more against him than I won!” said the Spaniard, who claimed his two world titles at Renault in 2005 and 2006 during Schumacher’s final years at Ferrari.

“He is an incredible driver, he was an inspiration for all the drivers of my generation when we were in karting and in the junior formulas to see Michael dominating the sport.

“He did change the way of approaching racing, physical preparation, determination, work ethic into the weekend with the engineers, a lot of things in the sport changed because of Michael – for the better.”

Schumacher’s wife Corinna has insisted on protecting his privacy since the accident in December 2013. He has not been seen publicly since, with his medical condition shrouded in secrecy as he continues to recover at home.

Being Michael Schumacher, a German-language five-part series, airs only in Germany on 14 December on ARD’s media library.

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FORMULA ONE

F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton fears confirmed by Red Bull chief as Mercedes launch investigation

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Express Sport is on hand to bring you the latest F1 news after the end of the season.

Express Sport is on hand to keep you updated with all of today's F1 news

Express Sport is on hand to keep you updated with all of today’s F1 news (Image: GETTY)

Max Verstappen’s emphatic victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw him wrap up the F1 season on a positive note after dominating proceedings for the entire campaign. The Dutchman earned more than double the points tally of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and will be the hot favourite to make it four titles in a row in 2024.

However, it remains to be seen whether the likes of Lewis Hamilton or Lando Norris will be able to challenge Verstappen for next year’s end-of-season honours. The former is still chasing an eighth world title but will need Mercedes to give him a quicker car in order to rival Red Bull for victories on a consistent basis.

Norris, meanwhile, could be set to emerge as Verstappen’s closest contender if McLaren keep developing their car on an upward trajectory. The Woking squad have come on leaps and bounds over the last few months and will have high hopes of pulling off a surprise title challenge when next season gets underway

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FORMULA ONE

Damon Hill ‘worried’ after Lewis Hamilton’s less than effervescent claims

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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton head down on the grid.

Damon Hill isn’t bursting with confidence about Mercedes’ 2024 prospects after Lewis Hamilton’s lacklustre response when quizzed on his hopes for next season.

As Max Verstappen romped to win number 19 of this season, crossing the finish line in Abu Dhabi 18s ahead of Charles Leclerc, Hamilton was down in ninth place, a further 26s back.

It was a disappointing end to a season in which Mercedes even went as far as to drop the zero-pod philosophy and go with the more Red Bull-esque bulkier sidepods in a bid to close the gap.

Damon Hill: He was not exactly effervescent about it

They didn’t, leaving Hamilton concerned about what 2024 may have in store for him and Mercedes.

“At this moment, I don’t really know,” he said when asked by Rachel Brookes if his team could challenge Red Bull next season.

“For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds in the end, and they haven’t developed their car since August is definitely a concern.”

His downbeat response has 1996 World Champion Hill worried.

“It’s a long hard year. And he’ll bounce back from that,” he said during the Sky F1 broadcast.

“But the worrying thing was when Rachel asked him about have you got any hope about what was coming. He was not exactly effervescent about it.”

The Briton, though, is confident Mercedes must have learned lessons from the past two years’ trials, lessons that should help them with next year’s W15.

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“I think on reflection, I’m sure that they’ll come back,” he added.

“They’ve got to have learned something from the last two seasons, and they’ve got to learn something from this year that will mean that they’ve got some ability to take a change in direction.

“He motivated quite a lot of change in that team when they were persisting with their original car, and he’s gotten them to change and think differently.

“So I’m sure that the new car will have no resemblance to the current one.”

Naomi Schiff is more worried about Toto Wolff’s comments

But while Hill is concerned about Hamilton, it’s Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff’s comments after Abu Dhabi that have his fellow pundit Naomi Schiff a bit worried.

Interviewing the Austrian after the race, Schiff asked if Mercedes were “building on or starting from a completely new base” for next year which Wolff didn’t exactly answer, instead speaking about having “good things in the pipeline”.

Schiff said: “Look, Lewis has said on multiple occasions that’s where he wants to leave his legacy.

“So I think for now, there’s enough hope left within the team, the spirit, even with Toto was saying down the barrel of our cameras is that he has faith that they can turn the situation around.

“Of course, they didn’t this year, quite clearly the mood is still quite low.

“But I found what was interesting there about what Lewis said that it’s slightly disappointing to see that Red Bull at this point is still winning by 17 seconds.

“And the question that I was trying to get out of Toto was are they going to be building from this point on going into next year or are they going to turn it around much like Aston Martin did or McLaren did by completely bringing in something different that maybe brings them back to the drawing board?

“So I don’t know if that’s a little bit telling of the fact that they might still just be building? Hopefully not.”

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