
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium – August 27, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton before qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Geer Vanden Wijngaert

via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium – August 27, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton before qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Geer Vanden Wijngaert
It is no secret that Mercedes were beaten at their own hands when it failed to construct a race-winning car for 2022. Their run of eight consecutive championship wins, a record of its own, ended in 2022. The bouncing Silver Arrows were a painful sight for the entire F1 world. Lewis Hamilton recently revealed the team’s misery and the lesson they learned from it in a conversation with Jay Shetty.
The new 2022 regulations made the teams imbibe a lot of changes in their cars. The floors closer to the ground made it tricky for the people at the factory to construct their cars around it. While the arch-rivals of Red Bull got it just right with the genius of Adrian Newey, the German team saw their worst construction of the hybrid era in the W13.

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Formula One F1 – Mexico City Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – October 29, 2022 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton reacts after qualifying in third position REUTERS/Carlos Perez Gallardo/Pool
Talking to the life coach on his podcast, the 7x champion revealed that this was one of the toughest years of his career. He further underlined what it meant for the team to not have gotten it right after years of staying on the top.
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But stating that this setback only made them stronger, he said, “I’ve worked with this team for 10 years, and in the conversations we’ve had this year, people have opened up like never before, people have cried. I feel like it’s a better team than ever because we’re working with purpose. We are actually talking about impact.”
Read More: Mercedes Boss Makes Telling Confession on Lewis Hamilton’s Winless F1 Season
Lewis Hamilton is someone who doesn’t get scared of downtime. Many tried to write him and his team off in 2022 but with a zeal to win that is stronger than ever, they enter 2023.
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2022; a lesson for Mercedes
Considering that the setback is only temporary in the bigger scheme of things, the team has moved on in preparation for W14. However, not forgetting the humility that came with their underwhelming construction of the previous year, Toto Wolff has a special place for W13. And it is most certainly not his heart.

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Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 3, 2022 Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff before the race REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
In an interview with Sky Sports, he had said “We’re gonna put these cars in the reception at Brackley and in Brixworth to remind us every single day how difficult it can be.” While 2022 has been a difficult year for the German team, in the latter half of the season they made strides in a positive direction. They also finished 1-2 at Sao Paulo GP,2022 on merit.
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Watch This Story: NASCAR fans think Joey Logano looks like Toto Wolff
If they keep the same progress momentum going for 2023, they may bring the fight to their rivals. With Bahrain GP only a few weeks away, can the Silver Arrows regain their former glory?
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