Lewis Hamilton left smiling as Mercedes make 'global improvement' ahead of US GP

20 October 2023 , 14:43

1247     0

Lewis Hamilton will benefit from car upgrades in Austin (Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Lewis Hamilton hopes new upgrades to his Mercedes car will "tip the needle" and help him to fight at the front of the Formula 1 grid again.

Amid the Silver Arrows' struggles, Hamilton is enduring the longest victory drought of his entire career. Almost two years have passed since the seven-time world champion last won a race, the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

And Mercedes have won only once in total in that time, when team-mate George Russell pipped Hamilton to victory in Brazil last year. And though the team has made progress in its car development, the W14 remains some way off he rampant Red Bulls.

A new upgrade for this weekend's United States Grand Prix – Mercedes' last major development of the season – will almost certainly not suddenly thrust them into contention for regular race wins. But Hamilton is hopeful it can give his team a boost for the final five rounds of the year and also make a difference for their 2024 plans.

"It’s been a huge amount of work back at the factory," he said. "This is our last big update or the biggest of the large updates through the season and I'm really excited to see how it feels. All the amazing people back at the factory have worked incredibly hard during the whole season and, hopefully, this really kind of tips the needle a little bit and helps us in the right direction of where we want to pursue next year.

Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"

"I don't know exactly all the different parts of the circuit that I'll feel it. But, hopefully, it's a global improvement and hopefully puts us a little bit closer to the guys ahead."

Team principal Toto Wolff specified that the floor of the W14 has been revamped and also spoke of the impact it will hopefully have on the team's next challenger. "We have a busy couple of weeks coming up as the season heads towards its conclusion, starting with a triple-header in the USA, Mexico and Brazil," said the Austrian.

"COTA is one of the most challenging modern tracks and a real thrill for the drivers. We'll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year. It will hopefully bring a small gain but more importantly, is another milestone in setting our development path for the W15.

"The battle for second in the constructors' has become more intense in recent races. We will keep our heads down, keep pushing and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage."

Daniel Moxon