The seven-time Formula 1 champion was taking part in a much anticipated chat with First We Feast, where he once again stated his displeasure with the performance of his W15 machine.
Since new regulations were introduced to the sport in 2022, Mercedes have gone from the team to beat to struggling to even get on the podium, with Hamilton win-less since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In 2024, the Silver Arrows are only the fourth-fastest on the grid, way off the pace of Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, with both Hamilton and George Russell consistently complaining that they do not have full trust in their car when behind the wheel.
The 39-year-old emphasised this point again during the interview, when host Sean Evans asked: âYou once said, âDuring a race, you become one with the carâ. It made me curious, when are you most in conflict with the machine youâre driving?â
Hamilton instantly replied: âRight now!â laughing as he did so.
Evans continued, asking: âAt what point in the race do you feel youâre trying to make the car do something it doesnât want to do?â
âAt the moment itâs every second,â the British sporting legend said.
âBut probably at the beginning of the race when youâre on heavy fuel, you canât go 100 per cent, you canât do qualifying laps every lap. So you have to pull back and try to hit the corners a little slower to go longer.
âAnd knowing how much to pull back. Sometimes you pull back too much and when you end your stint and go in for your pit stop you still have tyres left. Thatâs the point when you realise you didnât use them up.â
Hamilton has previously shared his annoyance that Mercedes didnât listen to him over his concerns about their car design, and this lack of trust partly contributed to his decision to leave his team of 11 years to join Ferrari in 2025.
After eight races, he is eighth in the championship, 12 points off Russell and 127 off leader Max Verstappen, with the next grand prix taking place in Canada on 9 June.
He also curiously revealed that there are two things he never does while racing: âWe do have a drinks tube in the car but I never drink.
âI just forget most of the time so I usually have that weight taken out. Itâs only like 500ml.
âMost other drivers, as far as Iâm aware, pee in the car but I just canât bring myself to pee myself, I just canât!
âI have once. It was Singapore two or three years ago maybe, I was behind the safety car and I was like, âIâm dying!â.
âHonestly when youâre bladderâs full, with the G-force that youâre pulling, itâs really, really uncomfortable, you canât focus on youâre job. I remember trying to go and I really had to force it!â
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