Mercedes improved ‘toxic’ F1 car trait Lewis Hamilton hated, says James Allison

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Mercedes technical director James Allison says improving a trait Lewis Hamilton and George Russell found ‘toxic’ with the W14 was key to developing their W15 2024 car.

The Silver Arrows unveiled their latest challenger this Wednesday at a shakedown session at Silverstone. It will also be the final Mercedes car that Hamilton drives in Formula 1 following his decision to join Ferrari. The 39-year-old will replace Carlos Sainz at the Scuderia in 2025.

Hamilton has been in Brackley since the 2013 season and has won six of the Briton’s record-equalling seven drivers’ titles. But back-to-back winless campaigns since Formula 1 adopted new ground effect regulations in 2022 tempted the Stevenage-born star to eye a new home.

Lewis Hamilton urged Mercedes to ‘figure out’ the W14’s rear end

Last year even returned Hamilton’s smallest points total since the 2013 season as he scored just 234 in 22 rounds. Yet it was still enough to secure third place in the drivers’ standings as Russell took P8 with 175 points. Mercedes also took second in the constructors’ standings.

But Hamilton regularly bemoaned the W14’s rear end through the 2023 season as he lacked confidence in Mercedes’ car. As early as the Saudi Arabian GP, he called for greater rear-end stability. Even team principal Toto Wolff stated the W14’s rear was ‘nasty’ at the Monaco GP.

Further upgrades would let Hamilton and Russell start to attack with more confidence in the rear of the W14. But 103-time Grand Prix winner, Hamilton, continued to urge Mercedes to ‘figure out’ their car’s rear end as its inconsistent grip levels made their W14 rather snappy.

James Allison hopes the W15 F1 car has a more ‘reassuring’ rear end

Mercedes have now moved to improve their rear axle once and for all with their W15 which Hamilton and Russell will drive in the 2024 Formula 1 season. The Silver Arrows have moved their seat rearwards by around 5-10 centimetres to improve the feel their drivers can enjoy.

The tweaks can also improve the car’s tyre degradation by reducing how snappy the W15 is compared to the W14. But Mercedes technical director Allison, who signed a new, long-term contract in January, says giving Hamilton and Russell a more pleasing rear end was the goal.

Allison said, via quotes by Bild: “A big focus was improving the predecessor’s unpredictable rear axle, which was often described as toxic by [the] drivers. We worked on it and tried to develop a car that is reassuring for [the] drivers.”