Lewis Hamilton 'counting down the days' until he no longer has to drive 'frustrating' 2023 Mercedes car

Lewis Hamilton admitted he is “counting down the days” until he no longer has to drive the W14, Mercedes’ 2023 car that has yet to yield a race victory.

The eight-time constructors’ champions surprised the paddock at the start of the year when they unveiled their latest challenger, which once again featured the radical ‘zero-sidepod’ design that dropped them well down the order in 2022.

The Brackley-based team have once again struggled for consistency this season and have been well off the pace set by Max Verstappen and Red Bull at the front of the grid.

Despite altering the design through the year and finding performance, Hamilton expressed his frustration after a bemusing Brazilian GP Sprint during which he quickly ran out of grip and had to settle for seventh after being passed by the AlphaTauri of Yuki Tsunoda.

“It was horrible. It was not enjoyable whatsoever,” Hamilton told Sky Sports, after the Sprint. “I was just fighting the car from very early on.

“The last couple of races we’ve been excited that we’re progressing, and it’s been really positive to see.

“And you come to another track and then you have the worst deg that you’ve had for ages. So it’s like you just don’t know what to expect with this one.

“But only a couple more races with this car and it’s gone, and I’ll be happy. This year, you’re just counting down the days, trying to enjoy every day as you can.”

George Russell experienced similar issues during the 24-lap shoot-out around the iconic Interlagos circuit.

The 25-year-old started fourth and made a stunning start, passing Sergio Perez off the line and catching Lando Norris napping midway through the opening lap to take second.

However, he soon fell back and eventually crossed the line fourth.

It doesn’t bode well for Mercedes in Sunday’s Grand Prix, with Hamilton completely ruling out the prospect of a first victory of the season at the venue Russell won at last year.

“We won’t be winning, that’s for sure,” Hamilton added. “It’s frustrating that the car is the way it is… we have one of the draggiest cars.

“Our floor is not as strong as perhaps the Red Bull for example, so we have to have a really big wing, and then we’re just slow on the straight. We can’t use anything smaller.

“It’s one of those circuits that’s challenging for tyres, but that’s the worst deg I think I’ve ever had here. I can’t remember the last time I had that bad a deg here.”

Despite the issues, Hamilton still has a chance to snatch second in the drivers’ championship from Perez, whom he trails by 24 points with three races to go, while Mercedes occupy second in the team standings ahead of Ferrari.

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