Lewis Hamilton Jokes About Constant Conflict with Mercedes W15 Amid Challenging Season

A third of the way into the season, Lewis Hamilton has yet to make it to a Grand Prix podium and has jokingly admitted to being in constant conflict with his Mercedes W15.

Mercedes introduced a heavily revised car this season to rebound from a winless 2023 campaign. Pre-season testing comments were optimistic, with Hamilton referring to the W15 as a “real race car” and expressing confidence in the improvements and potential competitiveness of the new package.

However, the start of the season has been challenging, with correlation issues hampering performance. Neither Hamilton nor teammate George Russell has featured on a Grand Prix podium, although Hamilton did secure a P2 finish in the Sprint race in China. His best Sunday results have been two sixth-place finishes, leaving him eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

In an interview with ‘Hot Ones’ host Sean Evans, Hamilton was asked when he feels most in conflict with his car. “Right now!” he responded with a laugh, adding, “At the moment, it’s every second.”

Joking aside, the seven-time World Champion explained that the conflict is most intense at the start of a race when he must balance preserving his tires with maintaining competitive lap times. “You can’t go 100 percent. You can’t do qualifying laps every lap,” he said. “You have to pull back and try to hit the corners a little bit slower to go longer. It’s also knowing how much to pull back; sometimes you pull back too much, and you end your stint with tires still left.”

Despite the difficulties, Hamilton is determined to help Mercedes return to the front of the grid. “I just try and give my all every weekend and push and give everything for this team,” he stated in Monaco. He expressed optimism about recent upgrades and looks forward to more improvements in the coming races.

Currently sitting eighth in the Drivers’ Championship and trailing Russell, Hamilton is 127 points behind leader Max Verstappen. However, he remains committed to pushing forward and closing the gap.