Lewis Hamilton knew Mercedes have been in hassle with their 2023 System 1 automotive the primary time he even noticed the W14.

Mercedes elected to stay with their zero sidepod strategy for the W14, doubling-down on the idea after a poor 2022.

Nevertheless, the staff now admit that was a mistake with an idea change coming for Imola – and Hamilton has revealed that earlier than he even drove the automotive at a Silverstone shakedown that it had deep, underlying issues.

“We most likely will not hit the bottom straightaway on the entrance, however we ought to be there or thereabouts,” he defined to media, together with RacingNews365, in Jeddah when requested concerning the temper of the staff going to the season-opener in Bahrain.

“It’s kind of of a shock when that wasn’t clearly the case. I knew that we weren’t in the suitable place. After I noticed the automotive for the primary time, it appeared nonetheless a lot completely different to these from our rivals.

“It is all the time nerve-racking in that second, however it seems to be good, however I truthfully do not care what color it’s so long as it’s fast, and hopefully we are going to mould it right into a profitable automotive at some stage.

“You do not swiftly lose the flexibility to construct nice vehicles, it is simply we’re not the place we must be and the place we need to be and we have simply bought to maintain engaged on it.

“I nonetheless have 100% perception on this staff. It’s my household and I have been right here a very long time, so I do not plan on going wherever else, however all of us want a kick, all of us must get on.

“As I stated, hopefully sooner or later through the yr, we’re hopeful we would be capable of shut the hole, however at that time, it will most likely be too late by way of combating for a championship however we will nonetheless flip some heads hopefully.”