It is a well-known fact that Mercedes has not been able to recover this season as they try to grab onto as many points as possible with a less-competitive car although they have dreams of beating Red Bull and securing yet another championship with star driver, Lewis Hamilton. However, with Ferrari catching onto the Mercedes team, they have a choice to make between a P2 finish or more wind-tunnel time.
It is no secret that Lewis Hamilton has been the only driver to get his Mercedes team podiums this season although he didn’t win a record amount of podiums like Lando Norris or Fernando Alonso. The driver has given his best to bring his suffering team back to the top.
Ferrari has also suffered majorly considering their technical issues, DNFs, and strategies which never worked out although the team has been the only one to win a race apart from Red Bull. However, any team could use 5% more wind-tunnel time while there is a high possibility that Ferrari might prioritize a P2 in the championship more than wind-tunnel time.
An honest assessment from Lewis Hamilton#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/WOBWUijay5
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 25, 2023
As Charles Leclerc secures a great position yet again this season while Mercedes holds a P4 and P11 position for the Abu Dhabi GP, it is safe to say Ferrari has a better chance of getting more points. However, it may not be a disadvantage considering Mercedes’s future plans.
The team has time and time again mentioned wanting to win the championship and beat Red Bull. Therefore losing P2 in the championship just to get more wind-tunnel time may be what they need for 2024.
Lewis Hamilton calls out the inconsistent Mercedes team
Mercedes has seen huge issues when it comes to their car this season. Lewis Hamilton has struggled with the car quite often, however, he has managed to bring himself to the P3 in the championship standings while also being the sole podium winner for his team.
Nonetheless, after winning seven world championships, it is only fair that one may get used to fighting at the very front. But in recent times Briton has had to watch McLaren and Haas beat him in qualifications. With the Abu Dhabi GP qualification taking place and Nico Hulkenberg beating Lewis Hamilton to get into Q3, while the champion had a P11 start to his Sunday race, the champion was broken.
Lewis Hamilton is all of us 😭 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/cjfSpe8iZQ
— Marina (@xxoMarina) November 26, 2023
After watching a Haas out-qualify him, the driver informed his team on the radio, “It’s more inconsistent than ever before”
It was pretty clear that the driver was no longer impressed with the car as he mentioned how relieved he was to finally be done with driving the W14 once and for all and wait for the 2024 season to see how it plays out for him.