Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Mercedes will introduce a new floor for their W14 car at the United States Grand Prix, in what is expected to be the last big update from the team this year.
The floor accounts for at least half of the downforce on a Formula 1 car in the ground effect era as the sport aims to improve the racing offered to fans and drivers, making it a critical area to get right for success.
In pursuit of this, Mercedes brought a new floor to the Monaco GP which helped the team expand their operating window of their car, collecting five podiums in the races since, compared to just one prior to the event in Monte Carlo.
It was a successful update that has allowed them to sit behind Red Bull as second best in the Constructors’ Championship in 2023 for a large portion of the season, despite losing ground to customer team Aston Martin in the opening races.
But Hamilton said that while it will bring a boost to performance for the remaining five rounds, the updates are primarily aimed at 2024’s W15 challenger.
“Hopefully this really kind of tips the needle a little bit and helps us in the right direction of where we want to pursue next year,” Hamilton said to the media.
“I don’t know exactly all the different parts of the circuit that I’ll feel it, but hopefully it’s a global improvement and hopefully it puts us a little bit closer to the guys ahead.”
Hamilton praises Mercedes staff
One thing that the 103-time GP winner isn’t short of is gratitude to the members of his Mercedes team that have contributed to him enjoying a vast wealth of success during his decade in Brackley.
His thanks and respect for his colleagues are a regular feature of his post-race radio messages regardless of whether he has cruised to a dominant win, or had a gruelling day at the office.
Although the team that won the Constructors’ Championship every year between 2014-2021 are below where they want to be, Hamilton‘s appreciation of his staff’s effort on the new floor aren’t going unspoken.
“Well, it’s been a huge amount of work back at the factory,” the Brit added. “This is our last big update, or biggest of the large updates through the season, and I’m really excited to see how it feels.
“All the amazing people back at the factory have worked incredibly hard during the whole season.”
