Hamilton warning to Red Bull after upgrades “that I’ve been asking for”

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez enter the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull’s home event, having won every race in 2023.

But Hamilton and George Russell joined Verstappen on the podium last time out, a sign that Mercedes’ recently-updated W14 is inching closer.

“You know that I’ve not been happy in the car for the past year and a bit,” Hamilton said in Austria.

“The step we’ve taken has moved it more in the direction that I’ve been asking for.

“Slowly, rebuilding confidence in the platform that I have.

“It’s still not 100%, I still can’t extract full potential from myself, but we’re getting there.”

Hamilton described the difficulty of driving the W14: “It’s not physically more demanding. You are just limited.

“The stability of the car, confidence of where you can put the car.

“Last saw I crashed here, so did George.

“The car’s lock has been very unpredictable for a long time but it’s becoming more predictable.”

Hamilton has confirmed that he would rather Mercedes prioritised winning the 2024 F1 championship rather than individual races this year.

And he also caused a back-and-forth with old rival Verstappen by suggesting that every team should be limited by a deadline when they can begin development of the following year’s car, to prevent dominant teams maintaining their advantage.

Verstappen hit back insisting that Hamilton did not raise this issue when Mercedes were enjoying seven consecutive drivers’ championships.