Lewis Hamilton aims to finish second in the 2023 standings, outlining his goals for the final ten rounds. The 7-time Champion is eager to optimise his W14 package and overtake Red Bull’s Sergio Perez – whose discomfort at Red Bull is often discussed in F1 news.
After Mercedes banked on the wrong concept over the winter, the Silver Arrows were forced to make significant changes. Chief among these was the appointment of James Allison to the role of Technical Director – a position which he previously held.
Despite the team’s mistakes, the German squad proved competitive enough to compete for podiums on a relatively consistent basis – especially in the hands of Lewis Hamilton.
The decline of Aston Martin’s performance has put Mercedes in a relatively comfortable position in the standings. However, Hamilton is still striving for a strong second half of the year.
He spoke to Sky Sports in Zandvoort about his outlook post-summer break:
“My goal is to figure out how to have the best ten races I’ve ever had in the second half of the season.
“Of course, we know performance-wise we aren’t going to blitz these races.
“But maximising points every weekend, holding onto second in the constructors standing and chasing down Perez [is the goal].
“I’m trying to prepare myself for when the car is ready to challenge and beat Max.
“I think at the moment, the only way we can do that is capitalise on any mistakes – which they don’t tend to make. But if they make any, I’ll be there.”
Sergio Perez’s struggles have been well covered in F1 news outlets, especially amidst the return of Daniel Ricciardo. Still, it would take something special for Hamilton to secure 2nd in the Championship.
Red Bull might be fully focused on developing next year’s car, but Mercedes is in a similar boat – having explained that no major packages will arrive in 2023.
In any case, it will be intriguing to observe how the performance amongst Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren evolves as the year comes to a close.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
