Help or hinderance? James Allison on how Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's F1 car feedback is guiding Mercedes

Mercedes technical director James Allison says the team are “lucky” to have two drivers aligned in their feedback on how to improve their troubled F1 car. 
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 16, Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the grid. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 16,…

Both168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Lewis Hamilton and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell have been vocal about the changes they want to see made to Mercedes’ 2024 car after enduring another challenging and frustrating campaign 💟with the troubled and in🧸consistent W14. 

After finishing 50 seconds behind 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton said Mercedes required the “greatest six months of development that we’ve ever had” in ordဣer to compete with Red Bull in 2024.

The seven-time world champion cited💞 the rate of development that McLaren have made in 2023 as proof that major performance gains are possible, and stated Mercedes cannot turn a “blind eye” to a Red Bull-style concept, which he labelled as being “the direction”. 

Hamilton visited Mercedes’ designers at the team’s factory after the Suzuka race to check on the progress of the W15 and𝄹 “see if they are making those changes” he called f🍸or. 

Asked if Hamilton’s recent comments have been a help or a♎ hinderance for Mercedes, Allison told the F1 Nation podcast: “It’s b🎃oth. Both is probably the right thing to say. 

Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Sprint
Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand…

“I think driver▨s sometimes conflate a problem wi🌠th knowing what the solution is. Where it’s a massive help is the accurate description of what is difficult about extracting lap time from the car. 

"If they can say ‘here it is letting me d𓆉own because the front axle is too weak, here it’s letting me down because the rear axle is too weak, here it just feels bizarre and I don🐭’t trust it’, that’s ever so helpful. 

“You can have a million pressure sensors on the car, loads of accelerat෴ors up the ying-yang, but ultimately those are a little bit stunted in the ability to tell you truly what the car is doing and the driver is 𝄹a much better sensor. 

“So if a drivꦰer says they ar🍸e lacking rear downforce - bang, I’ve solved it. Go to the rear downforce shop, get me some rear downforce. 

“That’s the point it becomes slightly less helpful. But at that point you just have accept the car is lacking in a certain thin♒g and it’s our job, as Lewis points out, he doesn’t design the car, it’s our job to respond with the solutions that bring that.

“But I think that he could rightfully say that both he and George have been saying a particular, consistent thing about the car, since the first laps of the 2022 cousin of this one, and the 2023 version inherited ꦿthat same behaviour and we have been slow to react, slow to fix.”

(L to R): Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 and George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the drivers' parade. Formula 1
(L to R): Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 and George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 on the…

Allison said Hamilton ඣand Russell have been aligned in feeding back about the W14’s weakne🌱sses throughout the season.

“In our case, we’re dead lucky that we’ve got two drivers who are saying, in slightly different vocabulary, pretty much t🃏he same thing,” he continued. 

“That I think answers the question about ‘is one driver pಌulling you in an unfruitful direction’. If they are both saying it… I mean, to be honest, if just Lewis were, he’s experienced enough to know.

“But also with George sayin൩g the same things, that is reassuring that the problem is significant and needs attacking.”  

As a result, Allison said Mercedes are now “pretty hopeful that we’ve got a good handle on what’s been ailing us” and are “pretty confident that we know whi🌄ch direction to head in for the following season.” 

“That leaves an open question though,” he added. “Let’s say we’re dead right and we know where we’re heading. Can we actually walk that path fast eno🔴ugh to overhaul a pretty dominant Red Bull and pop our noses in front? 

“That’s our challenge, more so than being confident of where we’re headed. I think we🅘’re headed in the right place, but the challenge, and that’s what makes this part of the year so breathlessly brilliant, is can we not just walk along that ꧂path but fair sprint it for the next several months.” 

George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, Qatar, Sprint
George Russell (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W14. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Qatar Grand…

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