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“5 & 15 Centimetres” Stand Between Lewis Hamilton & Potential F1 Success as Toto Wolff Takes Crucial Decision

Published 05/18/2023, 9:43 AM EDT

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via Imago

Lewis Hamilton has been using outspoken nature to address completely different issues since the start of the 2023 season. The Briton has turned his attention to getting back to winning ways. This is exactly why he has been openly criticizing the flawed concept of the W14. Hamilton’s complaints have ranged from various aspects of the car. Recently, he has focused his energy on his seat position. Now, for the first time, the Mercedes boss has addressed the Brit’s complaints. In doing so, Toto Wolff has revealed the marginal scope of change that can boost the Brit’s performance.

For the unaware, Hamilton has been complaining about his seat position in the W14 for weeks. The seven-time world champion doesn’t feel comfortable as he is too close to the front wheel. In response to Hamilton’s complaints, Wolff revealed the solution as quoted by Motorsport-Total.

via Imago

“You can vary the cockpit position between, say, five and 15 centimeters,” says Wolff. “We don’t think it’s a big problem from a technical point of view. We’re looking at the big concept of the driver’s position in the cockpit. Obviously, that’s one of the most important things, and not just in terms of weight distribution or, shall we say, the rational reasons like weight distribution, aerodynamics and so on, but also where the driver has the best feeling in the car.” (Translated by Google)

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Hamilton has been on the top of the sport for many years and can write a book about the dos and don’ts in F1. Despite that, the Brit was being ignored by his team, especially with his feedback about the car. However, that has changed now.

Toto Wolff is now more open-minded and accepting of the complaints coming from Lewis Hamilton

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The Brit was initially ignored and wasn’t taken seriously regarding his complaints about the W14. However, everyone in the Mercedes camp has had a change of heart towards Hamilton’s complaints and has become more accepting. Wolff confessed that during the recent interview.

via Imago

It’s something Lewis is very clear about and when a seven-time world champion has an opinion, it’s important to listen to it,” said the Austrian. “We don’t know what the impact is, but you have to take the feedback from the pilots seriously.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Are Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes Exaggerating Their F1 Struggles in 2023?

The Mercedes boss is a changed man and has a different outlook on the feedback from his drivers. We’re not suggesting this wasn’t the case already. However, there is definitely a change in attitude recently and it will be interesting to see if Mercedes can translate to better performances.

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Written by:

Mahim Suhalka

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Mahim Suhalka is a senior F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Having written over 1000 articles, Mahim specializes in core sports coverage. Having followed the sport for a long time, his articles contain excellent analysis of the sport and he dives deeper into the technicalities of this complex sport.
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