Lewis Hamilton still feels a ‘disconnect’ with his Mercedes W14 despite finishing P2 in Melbourne: “I still feel uncomfortable in the car”

Lewis Hamilton bolted his way to P2 at the 2023 Australian GP, finishing behind his 2021 rival Max Verstappen. The Briton showed incredible pace throughout the weekend, managing his car perfectly amidst the chaos.

Albert Park saw its fair share of chaos on Sunday, with four red flags over the course of 58 laps. Hamilton started the race in P3, behind his teammate George Russell and two-time world champion Max Verstappen. Russell suffered a reliability issue in the middle stages of the race, causing him to retire prematurely.

Fellow world champion Fernando Alonso was catching up with Lewis Hamilton towards the end of the race before the third red flag of the session thwarted his progress. Nonetheless, the Spaniard finished the race in P3, taking his third consecutive podium with Aston Martin in 2023.

Speaking to David Coulthard at Parc Ferme after the race, Lewis Hamilton was elated with his incredible result, thanking the whole team for their result. However, the seven-time world champion was quick to note that he is still not entirely comfortable with the W14 despite his incredible result.

He said:

"Unlucky for George today, really unfortunate. I didn't expect to be second so I'm super grateful for it. I still feel uncomfortable in the car though, I'm driving as best I can and working as hard as I can but still, considering we've been down on performance and in straight pace, for us to be up there fighting with Aston is amazing. We can close that gap - it's going to be tough but not impossible."

Lewis Hamilton shows loyalty to Mercedes

In an update on his contract extension with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton has reaffirmed his commitment to the German team for the foreseeable future. The seven-time world champion is determined to secure his eighth title in the sport, despite being on the back foot since the end of the 2021 season and not having won a race since.

Nonetheless, the 38-year-old has dismissed any possibility of joining rival teams to accomplish this goal. After scoring his first podium of the 2023 season, the Briton will be more than willing to stick with the Silver Arrows.

Speaking to the media ahead of the 2023 Australian GP, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said of his future plans:

“I continue to feel very much at home as a family. I see myself being in Mercedes until my last day, to be honest. If you look at the legends like Sir Stirling Moss, he was with Mercedes until the end of days [sic], so that’s been the dream for me to one day have that, or I have that, so just continue on with them.

"Continue to build with the brand, I’ve got some amazing allies within the team, we’ve got great relationships here."

With the team slowly gaining momentum in 2023, it will be interesting to see their progress over the course of the year.