Mercedes upgrades haven’t resolved Hamilton’s seat position problem

Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix Hamilton revealed that the cockpit in the W14 is closer to the front of the car than Mercedes’ rivals and admitted the positioning was hindering his performance. 

Mercedes debuted a major upgrade package at the recent Monaco Grand Prix and had their best weekend of the season the following weekend in Barcelona, but Hamilton highlighted that he is still not satisfied with his further-forward seat positioning. 

Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion admitted it can’t be changed until the team introduces a new chassis. 

“There’s nothing you can do about it, that’s just the way it is,” Hamilton explained. 

“The only thing you can do ultimately is just trying to slow the rate of rotation, stabilise the rear end. So that’s just something you try to do on mechanical balance.

“But we’re just limited with the tools you have. It’s the same ones as last year."

Hamilton praised the improvements Mercedes have made to the W14's front suspension, saying the changes have given him more confidence. 

“The new suspension was a real positive for me, it gave me a lot more confidence last week [in Monaco] and so I’m hoping that translates here [Barcelona]," he added. 

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has already ruled out the possibility of a new chassis being introduced this year due to the constraints of the F1 cost cap. 

It would therefore appear that Hamilton will have to put up with his imperfect seat positioning until at least next season.