Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes have drawn level with Red Bull at low-speed corners and slower tracks, but admitted Max Verstappen‘s team still have the edge in the quicker turns at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Hamilton finished second to Verstappen in both the Sprint Race and Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas before arriving in Mexico, though he lost the race result along with Charles Leclerc after his floor wore down too thin.
“Any place that we probably on the level is probably lower speed, our car has generally been good in low speed over the past couple of years,” Hamilton told the media. “But the higher the speed you go, the more the separation of them being quicker.”
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez represents one of Mercedes‘ last chances for grand prix victory in 2023 and avoid a first winless season since 2012.
Meanwhile, Hamilton last tasted victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP – almost 700 days ago- despite going close several times since then.
However, after finishing up the current triple-header at Interlagos, F1 heads to Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi – both high-speed circuits that should play exactly to the RB19‘s strengths.
Hamilton: Mercedes must find more rear stability
Hamilton spent plenty of laps behind Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas, including the entire sprint race after he passed Leclerc at the first turn.
It was a dull race for virtually everyone involved after the opening lap with only Carlos Sainz providing any animation after starting on the soft tyres, but that gave Hamilton plenty of time to focus on the back of the RB19.
In the Grand Prix he crossed the line just two seconds behind Verstappen, before losing that result to the stewards later.
“It’s always a good experience to be behind them and see first-hand where the car is stronger,” Hamilton said. “They can get the power earlier than most of us, the car moves a lot less, the degradation of the rear tyres is much easier to manage.
“I’ve been in that position before where I had a much more stable rear end and it’s so much easier to keep the temperatures lower and make the tire go longer.
“They’ve done a better job in that space where they have a more stable platform which is much, much easier to drive than us.”
