2009 F1 champion Jenson Button reviews Lewis Hamilton’s ‘biggest problem’

Jenson Button has weighed in on Lewis Hamilton's claim that the Mercedes W14's sitting position is too far forward. With a wealth of experience in the sport, Button can speak with authority about Hamilton's confidence and talent behind the wheel.

Hamilton has been vocal about his discontent with the position of his seat in the W14. The British driver claims that his seat is substantially further ahead than that of other cars such as Red Bull and Ferrari. This has given him the impression that he is sitting on the front wheels, which is detrimental to his racing.

Reacting to the comments during Sky's coverage of the Australian GP, Button said:

“It’s with what he’s not feeling, I think that’s the biggest problem with Lewis. The way he drives, he’s quite aggressive on the throttle, quite aggressive on the brake and he does everything through the steering wheel, so he really needs to feel what’s happening through the rear of the car through his arms."

He continued:

“And he’s not getting that so he doesn’t have that confidence to push the car and these cars are tricky anyway, especially in qualifying, and if he doesn’t have that confidence, he’s not able to get the maximum out of it.”

The Australian Grand Prix saw Hamilton's performance unexpectedly improve versus Aston Martin, with both the Mercedes drivers even going ahead of Max Verstappen for a few laps. He finished the race in P2, his first podium of the season. While this was a track-specific performance, he learned a lot from his Albert Park.

Hamilton's performance is projected to improve in Baku, and with the Brackley team scheduled to provide big enhancements for the W14 closer to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, it should only become quicker. Little is known about what we might expect, however it is rumored to be a significant modification.

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Mick Schumacher discusses lessons he learnt from Lewis Hamilton

Mick Schumacher recently discussed his experiences after joining George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Working with the two Mercedes stars has been exciting for the former Haas driver.

In Mick's Diary: Life as an F1 Reserve Driver, Schumacher acknowledged his appreciation for the opportunity to work with "two fantastic drivers." According to the German, he was given a chance that not everyone gets.

Schumacher also noted that the British duo on the team taught him a lot about how to approach a race weekend and what the key phrases are. He also believes he has already learned "so much" to add to his skill set.