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Formula 1 2023: Australian GP MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, on the grid during the Australian GP at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday April 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2303_162446MS3_8051

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Formula 1 2023: Australian GP MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, on the grid during the Australian GP at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday April 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2303_162446MS3_8051
Lewis Hamilton finds himself at a very strange place in his Formula 1 career. He’s always been a polarizing figure within the Formula 1 paddock. However, back then, he was winning it all and could silence his haters with his performances on the track. That being said, ever since 2022, he’s been languishing in the upper echelons of the midfield due to Mercedes dropping the ball. Hence, every time the 7x champion tries to communicate something he doesn’t like, he’s liable to be tagged as a sore loser.
Recently, the Brit came out with a few comments about how the W14 has an added disadvantage to its obvious lack of optimization. For Hamilton, the W14 is a tricky beast to tame, however, a bulk of the blame goes to a peculiar problem he has with his car; his race seat.
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Is Lewis Hamilton cooking up vague excuses?
Hamilton was quoted as saying, “I don’t know if people know, but we sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers. Our cockpit is too close to the front. When you’re driving, you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels, which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you’re driving a car.”

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Formula 1 2023: Australian GP MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, 2nd position, on the podium during the Australian GP at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday April 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2303_165205MS3_8565
He has caught a lot of flak for it, too. But on a recent episode of the Lift the Lid podcast, ex-Benetton driver Johnny Herbert explained, “Sitting on the front wheels, what does that mean? Some people might, you know, say he’s moaning. But, I have to say, it, it can be very disorientating sometimes when you’re positioned.”
Herbert’s comments come as a breath of fresh air amongst all the criticism Hamilton’s been receiving.
Hamilton comments cause massive confusion
Herbert, an ex-racing driver, seems to understand where the Brit is coming from when he says that the seating position of the W14 is causing him major grief. However, other paddock insiders don’t really see eye-to-eye with Herbert on this issue.
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FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 / 01.04.2023, Albert-Park, Melbourne, FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 , im Bild Max Verstappen NLD, Oracle Red Bull Racing , Lewis Hamilton GBR, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team *** FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 01 04 2023, Albert Park, Melbourne, FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 , in picture Max Verstappen NLD , Oracle Red Bull Racing , Lewis Hamilton GBR , Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team nordphotoxGmbHx/xBratic nph00250
Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz isn’t convinced by Hamilton’s claims. He explained, “I’m not sure because at the beginning of testing we had a special guest, Mike Elliott. I had all these ideas about the Mercedes and I put them to Mike, and he said ‘no’. One of them was, I said have you moved the cockpit forward because there’s something online, I can’t remember what it was, so I said have you moved the cockpit forward. He said, ‘no’.”
“So I’m all a bit confused.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: Bromance moments between Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton
Has Lewis Hamilton lost his touch after all?
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