Inside Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes nightmare: ‘Helpless’ Brit ‘forgot what winning felt like’ as his advice to fix car was IGNORED by engineers, with ‘barn door’ wing making ‘evil sister’ 2023 car hellish to drive during winless season

Lewis Hamilton has revealed Mercedes engineers ignored his advice on how to fix their car ahead of his winless 2023 season.

The seven-time world champion went on to add that he ‘can’t really remember what winning’ feels like as he opened up on his struggles with the Silver Arrows in the latest series of Netflix hit Drive to Survive.

The sixth series, which airs from today, shows a puzzled Hamilton querying why his advice on how to turn their form around was shot down as being ‘wrong’.

 

‘Last year I remember complaining to the team and saying “look, we have to make these changes otherwise this is the trajectory we are going to go on and this is where we are going to end up so please, please do something about it.”,’ he said.

‘I remember that day they said, “we know what we are doing, you’re wrong.” That was definitely an interesting moment.’

Hamilton endured a nightmare 2022 season

Wolff admitted he failed the Brit by providing a car that was incapable of challenging for a world title

Lewis Hamilton (left) saw his pleas to Mercedes to fix their car ahead of the 2023 season dismissed, leaving awkward viewing for team boss Toto Wolff (right) in a new Netflix series

Hamilton explained to engineers how a troublesome rear end has plagued the team for years
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Hamilton explained to engineers how a troublesome rear end has plagued the team for years

It left the Brit frustrated as his fears eventually came true when it was too late for team to fix
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It left the Brit frustrated as his fears eventually came true when it was too late for team to fix

Hamilton continued: ‘I stepped back, I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes… then we got into the season and spoke again and they were like, “maybe you were right”. So yeah…’

At the beginning of Episode 6: Leap of Faith, an irritated Hamilton is seeing during a commercial commitment.

He then goes on to explain how Mercedes’ demise has affected him.

‘My goal is to get back on top and win a championship again. But then we get in the car in 2023 and it’s the evil sister [of 2022],’ he explained.

‘I can’t really remember winning, it’s been like a minute to be honest.

‘I don’t remember what that feeling is. It is what it is, we’ve just got to take it on the chin and just acknowledge that we did not get it right, we took the wrong decision and start taking big strides in the right direction… before it’s too late.’

Unfortunately, Hamilton would only make the podium once in the first six races and it quickly became apparent that he would not be landing a record eighth world title in 2023.

After the sixth race in Monte Carlo, where Hamilton finished fourth, one scene shows him airing his frustrations over the team radio.

‘The car is terrible, I feel helpless,’ he said.

‘I can try and deliver each weekend but you can only do so much with what you’ve got,’ he said during a Netflix interview.

After the race during the team debrief, Hamilton made it plain that Mercedes’ problems are a recurring theme.

The weakest part of the car is the rear end,’ he told team personnel. ‘That wing is really a barn door, it’s very very draggy. Last year was the same and the year before that was the same.’

It is an episode where Hamilton goes on to deny any conversations with Ferrari – where he will now race from 2025 – before committing to Mercedes in a sensational u-turn.

Despite reservations, Hamilton did sign a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the 2023 season
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Despite reservations, Hamilton did sign a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the 2023 season

However, Hamilton's bombshell 2025 move to Ferrari was confirmed earlier this month, and he will race alongside Charles Leclerc (right) for the sport's most famous team from next year
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However, Hamilton’s bombshell 2025 move to Ferrari was confirmed earlier this month, and he will race alongside Charles Leclerc (right) for the sport’s most famous team from next year

Hamilton discusses his ‘leap of faith’ to sign a new contract with the Silver Arrows.

‘OK we’ve had two difficult years but I still have so much belief that Mercedes and all these people in this team have the ability to build a great car,’ Hamilton said.

‘You’ve just got to take a leap of faith.’

He continued: ‘Toto [Wolff], he’s listened. There never feels a time where I’m not going to be a Mercedes driver. It’s my home, it’s my family.’

Viewers get to see a crucial meeting during negotiations between Wolff and Hamilton, where Mercedes’ team boss concedes that sticking to the car concept after a late surge of results in 2022 set the team back.

‘The biggest failure,’ retorted Hamilton.

Wolff does not promise that he will deliver a title-winning car again for Hamilton but does go on to say that Ferrari’s red overalls ‘wouldn’t suit’ Hamilton – which is ironic now his switch in 2025 has been confirmed.

Hamilton’s change of heart means that this season will mark the Brit’s final year with the team, who he joined from McLaren back in 2013.

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