With Mercedes still battling to overcome the porpoising issues that have affected the W13 since pre-season testing, Hamilton wants the team to not waste a moment in working out how it can make progress.
For while the good finishing rate of the team has kept it within touching distance in the championship fight, Hamilton is well aware that it cannot continue to count on other’s misfortune to help it deliver results.
He is clear that Mercedes cannot afford to wait two or three more races for potential development upgrades, which is why he will push hard this week with the German car manufacturer’s management and sponsor partners to see what can be done.
“There’s a lot of work, and there’ll be a lot of calls, naturally,” said Hamilton about his plans before the next race at Imola. “I’m on a lot of Zoom calls with all the sponsors and our bosses, really trying to rally them up.
“We’ve got some improvements that we need to make. And we need everyone’s support in doing so, in just making sure we leave no stone unturned.
“It’s in making sure the hunger is really there and we’re maximizing absolutely every moment.”
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Hamilton is aware of how much dialing out the porpoising is compromising the pace of the Mercedes, which is why he feels there is a lot more speed to be unlocked from the car if the team can get on top of the phenomenon.
“I’m chasing the people that are in the wind tunnel, the aero guys, and just looking at absolutely every single area,” he said. “There’s performance to be gained in areas that we know.
“And we need it now. Not in two or three races. We all know as a team that we have just got to keep that encouragement and keep that energy high.”
Although Mercedes is currently second in the constructors’ championship, and George Russell is only behind Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, the pace gap to Ferrari and Red Bull remains obvious.
And while closing down that deficit will not be easy, Hamilton remains hopeful that Mercedes has more room to improve with its car than the well sorted Ferrari and Red Bull machines.
“I prefer to stay optimistic” he said. “There are 20 races to go. If you think realistically, with the way how the sport goes in terms of everyone’s development, the top teams often develop at a similar pace and similar rate. Will that be the case with this new car? Who knows?
“I’m really, really hoping we can get in the fight soon. But with every bit of improvement we will probably make, [Ferrari] and Red Bull will probably make a similar sort of step, so it’s not going to be easy. Yes the gap is pretty big right now. But there is a long way to go.”
