Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton worried new F1 regulations haven’t delivered everything that it said

Lewis Hamilton has stated that the regulations introduced to Formula 1 at the start of the 2022 season have failed to deliver as promised.

Overseen by F1's then Managing Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn and his team, the various changes included a ground-effect floor, bigger tires, a simplified front wing, and a sharp new rear wing.

These new rules, which were initially planned for the 2021 season before getting pushed back by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were introduced to bring back the excitement in the sport by allowing cars better chances to overtake, among other things.

However, with all teams experiencing extreme bouncing across the early months of last season, the FIA was forced to launch a technical directive midway through the year. This season, teams have been required to increase the floor edges on their cars by 15mm.

Hamilton believes that the current regulations haven’t delivered as anticipated. He said (via motorsportweek):

“Nope, it is [the dirty air ensuing from the 2023 cars] the same as the past. I think last year for us was pretty bad with the bouncing, because you’ve got the turbulence and the bouncing, whereas this year we don’t have the bouncing, so we have less issues following cars.”

He added:

“I think it’s still a little bit better than the previous generation of cars. But hasn’t delivered everything that it said it would, so got some improvements to make hopefully for the future.”

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Mercedes don’t have a replacement lined up should Lewis Hamilton choose to leave

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has claimed that the team does not have a "Plan B" alternative if Lewis Hamilton decides to quit the Formula One team.

Hamilton's current agreement with the Silver Arrows expires at the end of 2023, sparking theories about the seven-time world champion's future. While he has often spoken about extending his contract with the team, there hasn't been any official announcement yet.

Team boss Wolff has stated that he is happy with both his drivers and that's why he hasn't thought of replacements in the unlikely scenario of Hamilton parting ways with the team. He said (via racingnews365):

"I think it may sound naïve, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favourite. I don't want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I'm happy with the ones that are in the team, that's for sure. At the moment, there is no Plan B. It's Lewis."