Lewis Hamilton, the British driver of Mercedes AMG F1, expressed his intention to avoid making significant adjustments to his Formula 1 car after a successful session at the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton had a challenging start to the season, with an engine failure in Australia and a disappointing qualification. However, he remains optimistic about the potential of the revamped W15 car, despite its inconsistent performance. In the practice sessions in Suzuka, Hamilton achieved the fifth fastest time in the first hour and improved to second place later on. Despite Mercedes expecting difficulties on the high-speed circuit, Hamilton was pleased with the balance of his car. He described it as the best session of the year so far and expressed his excitement and positivity. Hamilton mentioned that no changes have been made to the car since the successful session.
To address ongoing correlation issues, Mercedes conducted experiments on Hamilton’s car during the second practice in Australia, which did not produce the desired results. However, the team made adjustments overnight and improved the car’s performance. Hamilton emphasized his intention to keep the basic setup with which he was comfortable since the start of the Japanese Grand Prix to avoid setbacks. When asked about his expectations for the rest of the weekend, Hamilton stated that as long as they don’t make too many changes and hinder progress, they should stay where they are. He also expressed frustration with the new tire rule, which prevented teams from using intermediate tires during the limited practice session due to a change in track temperature. Despite this setback, Hamilton remains hopeful for the upcoming races.
