“Mercedes is my family” - Lewis Hamilton dismisses rumors of switching teams out of frustration 

Lewis Hamilton has once again reiterated that he has no plans to part ways with Mercedes just because the team is underperforming on the track.

Mercedes have struggled to get the best out of their car for the second consecutive season. Last year, the team struggled with porpoising, among other things, and finished a distant third in the Constructors' standings, behind Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari.

The Silver Arrows looked confident heading into the 2023 season. However, they received a reality check at the Bahrain Grand Prix as both Hamilton and George Russell finished almost a minute away from victory.

Hamilton is currently in the final year of his contract. With no renewal announced so far, it has led to speculation that he would part ways with Mercedes if he failed to see improvements in the car's performance.

While disappointed with the way the team began the new campaign, the Briton expressed confidence in turning it around over time. Hamilton also denied rumors that his F1 future was away from the Brackley outfit.

He said (via auto motor sport):

"I trust my team. The only thing we can do now is work together as hard as we can to turn things around. This team can't have forgotten how to build fast racing cars. There are always moments when not everyone agrees.

"We just need a kick now. Mercedes is my family. I don't go anywhere else."

Lewis Hamilton also called for 'radical' steps in development to ensure Mercedes are not left chasing Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin throughout the year. He said:

"In the race, the Red Bulls are one and a half seconds faster per lap than we are. Especially at the exit, the rear of the others sticks much better. If we want to win, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin must not finish."

The 38-year-old added:

"We need bold decisions and radical steps now. I hope that later in the season we will be able to close the gap. But by then it will probably be too late for the title fight."

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Lewis Hamilton is 'committed' to Mercedes, says former teammate Heikki Kovalainen

Lewis Hamilton's former teammate Heikki Kovalainen believes that the Briton will not leave Mercedes anytime soon. Instead, the seven-time world champion has been backed to help the team get back to the top of the sport.

Kovalainen disclosed that he met Hamilton last year in Hungary and had a talk with him. Shedding light on their conversation, he said (via Mirror Sport):

"He [Lewis Hamilton] is committed to Mercedes. I met him in Hungary last year and we had a good chat there. Without going into detail of what was said in a private conversation, the body language and the feel I got from him, I just felt that this is something that he wants to turn around."

The former Finnish F1 driver added:

"He wants to turn things around for Mercedes and that’s going to tick another box on his resume – to show that it's not that he's only been driving good cars and making the most of the good cars, but that he can actually turn a struggling team around and lead that team."

Kovalainen was teammates with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren when the latter won his maiden F1 title.