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Lewis Hamilton had a more or less positive outlook after his final Mercedes pre-season test but admitted that there was still work to do for the team to compete at the front of the grid.
The German team has had a major shock in terms of performance in the last two seasons. After an eight-year run where Mercedes dominated the sport and won eight consecutive constructors titles, the team has not been a factor at the front in the last two seasons. Red Bull, on the other hand, has dominated with Max Verstappen winning the title in the last two years.
Over the last two seasons, Hamilton has rarely been a factor at the front of races as the car has just not been good enough to compete. For the 2024 F1 season, however, Mercedes is hoping for improvements and the first pre-season test went well, according to the team.
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In the press release from the team, Lewis Hamilton was happy with the progress made by the team but felt that more was still needed to be done. He said:
"Overall, it's been a really good test. I'm really proud of everyone trackside and those back at the factory. Every single woman and man has been working tirelessly, both at Brackley, Brixworth, and here in Bahrain. It's massively encouraging and great to see everyone working so well together. The focus, determination, and communication is the best I've ever seen."
He added:
"We know we've got work to do and we're not yet where we want to be. We knew that would be the case coming into the test though. We've got a great platform to build on. We'll go away and work hard over the next couple of days to go through all the data from the test."
"I'm really excited for the start of the season next week and we'll be heading into it in good shape," Lewis Hamilton concluded.
Lewis Hamilton's teammate George Russell shares a positive outlook for 2024
Lewis Hamilton's teammate George Russell was also positive in his outlook for 2024. The team and the drivers struggled last season with a car that was hard to handle with an unpredictable rear. According to Russell, the 2024 challenger has made a major jump in terms of those traits.
Russell did admit that work needed to be done to get to the front but noted that the baseline was certainly there. In the team's press release, he said:
"We're aware that there's a lot more lap time to find. We knew that would be the case ahead of the test, and Red Bull are looking very strong once again. Nevertheless, I'm confident that we're in a much better place than we were 12 months ago."
He added:
"The team at Brackley and Brixworth have done a great job to get us into this position and with a car that is a step in the right direction. We now need to focus on firstly getting the most out of the package we have and secondly, adding more downforce and trying to close that gap."
Lewis Hamilton will notably be racing in his last season with Mercedes in 2024. He will likely be looking to end his stay with the team on a high, even though it could be hard for him to get a title fight out of the car this season.
