“I have to be prepared for that day” - Lewis Hamilton still believes Mercedes will eventually be competitive again

Mercedes have had a slower start than expected to the 2023 Formula 1 season. They currently sit third in the constructors’ standings heading into Australia, level on points (38) with Aston Martin and 49 behind championship leaders Red Bull Racing.

In the drivers' standings, Lewis Hamilton sits fifth with 20 points, while his teammate George Russell is one spot and two points behind him. Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Sergio Perex, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz sit ahead of the Mercedes duo.

Despite the continuing struggles with the car, Hamilton expressed his excitement at returning to Melbourne. He also spoke about the positive atmosphere in the team and expressed his confidence in them eventually improving the car's performance. He said: (via soymotor):

"Melbourne is one of my favorite places, I love to go surfing, even though I was scared all the time because of the sharks. The atmosphere in Mercedes is positive, we all know we're not where we want to be. I personally want to make sure I'm hungry for when I have the car, be it in two, 10 or 20 races, I have to be prepared for that day."

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Lewis Hamilton pinpoints key difference between Mercedes and other F1 cars

Lewis Hamilton believes that the W14's cockpit is too close to the front wheel, forcing him to alter his natural driving style and thus affecting his performance.

The 38-year-old stated that the designers had built a front-biased cockpit, which went against his liking and made the car 'harder to predict.' He said (via motorsport.com):

"If you look at the past, I've always enjoyed an oversteering car. I don't know if people know, but 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."

The Mercedes driver added:

"What that does is it just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. It makes it harder to predict compared to when you're further back and you're sitting closer, more centre. It's just something I really struggle with."