The weather at Zandvoort was nothing less than a disaster and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was one of the many who struggled through the race. The Mercedes car has been a heated topic within the team. After the struggles that came in the first few circuits of the Dutch Grand Prix, the driver had a hard time keeping himself on with the slick tires. However, the upgrades or strategies to improve the performance of the W14 have been a failure.
Hamilton voiced his anger by criticizing the team’s refusal to consider his suggestions for the zeropods concept. But according to the Briton is nothing usual to be frustrated with one’s team while involved in a sport like Formula 1. Hamilton stated, “Has it been quick enough?[ W14] Maybe not but the good thing is we’ve now sat down, we’ve now said okay we’re more open-minded, this is maybe the direction we need to go so let’s explore it, and let’s get on top of it for next year.”
Lewis Hamilton had the quickest reaction at the start in Zandvoortpic.twitter.com/lPAF5wwDtO
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) August 29, 2023
The bouncing issue that the English driver and his teammate George Russell have been addressing for a while now proceeds to stay the same. The latter was severely affected by the unexpected turn of events and he landed at the 17th position from the 3rd spot which is beneath the team’s expectations. The complexities of the car have led fans to speculate that a dissatisfied Hamilton might even exit the team.
Is Lewis Hamilton in common ground with Mercedes for a contract extension?
Discussions have centered on the British driver’s contract status since the beginning of the season. Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes team have been subtly hinting at their plans from the very start, constantly emphasizing their mutual desire to keep the partnership for a couple of more seasons. Now it can be said with certainty that Lewis Hamilton is committed to a new, two-year contract with the Silver Arrows team.
Lewis Hamilton has the same number of podiums as Verstappen and Alonso combined 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AM5Kj1ARca
— Stefanie (@fastpitstop) August 29, 2023
This agreement additionally gives him the chance to decide if he wants to continue racing into the forthcoming engine constraints period in 2026. After a rather upsetting Dutch Grand Prix, surprising news surfaced just when the rumors around the Hamilton-Mercedes story appeared to be dying down. This report suggested that Hamilton had surely signed a new “multi-year” contract with Mercedes.
As they go closer to finalizing a new deal, the British driver and the team principal, Toto Wolff seem to be taking a careful and thoughtful approach. The official announcement of this development for the fans is expected in the near future, notwithstanding the fact that detailed specifics of the deal are still largely unknown to the public.