Lewis Hamilton feels ‘comfortable’ driving the all-new Mercedes W14

After Mercedes unveiled the much anticipated W14, Lewis Hamilton gave his insight on the car, after driving it at the British Grand Prix venue. He revealed that he felt much more 'comfortable' driving the car, which sounds like a big improvement.

On Thursday, Mercedes ran the W14 in wet conditions at Silverstone, using one of the two filming days that are allowed by Formula 1. This gave both their drivers a chance to step behind the wheel of their 2023 challenger and get a feel of the car. Hamilton sounds impressed with the car as he said (quoted by Formula 1):

"It has been great to get up and running with the W14. It is always a much-anticipated moment for everyone at the factory that has been working so hard; I’m incredibly grateful for all the effort that has gone in.

"The day has been smooth; we got through a good programme, and we’ve come away with some useful findings. I generally felt comfortable in the car and I’m excited to get going in Bahrain."

Lewis Hamilton being comfortable driving the car is a huge step up for the team after the horrible issues they faced in the previous season. It was the time when Hamilton continuously alerted the team about the drivability of the W13.

He stated a lot of times that the car was extremely hard to drive and the violent porpoising made it hard on the drivers, physically. This was apparent after Hamilton was seen struggling to get out of the car post the race in Baku because of back pain.

However, the W14 seems to be much more suitable for the seven-time world champion.

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George Russell reacts similarly to Lewis Hamilton after driving the W14

George Russell, who had an impressive performance in the 2022 season, also had the chance to drive the car on Thursday, as mentioned above. The young Briton revealed that although the conditions were not perfect, the car ran smoothly, not causing any big issues.

The development in Mercedes' W14 is a big mark for the team after the extremely tough 2022 season. If the car is as competitive as it is expected to be, the team and the drivers - Lewis Hamilton and Russell - could be fighting for a world championship in the upcoming season.

This also means that if their competitors turn out to be strong, there could be a three-way battle for the world championship.