The 2022 season of F1 proved to be more tumultuous for the constructors than anyone had expected. We saw Haas finish over AlphaTauri, McLaren slip a position below Alpine, Ferrari’s rise, and Red Bull’s dominance. But the most surprising shift in performance was that of Mercedes, which dropped to third in the championship. However, Lewis Hamilton believes things are about to change next year for his team.

As the season’s end approached, Mercedes started to close in on their gap with Ferrari. And though they didn’t have a lot of podiums and wins, they were otherwise pretty consistent through the year.

Speaking towards the end of the year, Hamilton expressed optimism for his team’s return to fighting ways against Red Bull. Quoted by Formula1.com, he said, “I’d like to think that we’re going to be the ones that are competing with them and being able to beat them [Red Bull] again, I do believe that for sure.”

Adding to it, Hamilton revealed his team picks for the championship, which he believes can compete alongside Ferrari, Red Bull, and Silver Arrows. 

“So, I hope that it’s more than a two-way battle next year. I hope there’s at least three of us. If not, surprisingly, maybe more. Like, why can’t McLaren be there? We’ll see. Or even Alpine’s been doing amazing. So, we’ll see.”

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The 2022 regulatory changes also revived hope for mid-table teams to rise up. It would certainly be better if the top 3 teams were regularly challenged by other teams, as was anticipated in 2022 after the completion of pre-season tests.

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Mercedes’s technical team has already gotten things rolling at the factory. Recently, they fired up the W14 engine, but overall, they plan to stick with the same chassis as that of the W13 while making an architectural change.

On the management side, Lewis Hamilton believes that the team has the confidence and trust of the board to continue the fight. He further praised Toto Wolff’s management, which he believes has kept the team going.

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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – OCTOBER 27: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

“Toto [Wolff] is very focused as a leader to really elevate people,” Hamilton was quoted as saying.“I don’t know any other leader that that I’ve worked with at least that that goes and says, ‘hey, how are things at home? How can I help support you better, so you have more time with your wife or your husband or with your partner, with your kids, so that you come to work and be happier and want to commit more?”

“That’s who Toto is. So I think it’s that, and because of that, there’s a real general hunger within the team.”

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With Lewis and Toto stepping up, Mercedes managed to keep its head up last season despite the turmoil. With a comeback not so distant, they have to grab the chance and test out their best in testing in the coming months.