Lewis Hamilton backs up George Russell after first drive of new car

Hamilton opens up on plans to remain in F1 ahead of new season

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Lewis Hamilton has insisted that he had no issues driving Mercedes’ all-new W14 challenger on Thursday as the team held a filming day in wet conditions at Silverstone. George Russell also got behind the wheel after debuting the car on Wednesday as the Silver Arrows fired it up for the very first time and was left happy with how things went despite some reports of power unit issues after just a few laps at the home of British motorsport.

It was reported by Spanish media that ‘ignition problems and misfiring’ saw repairs needed on the W14 after the end of Wednesday’s session, although Express Sport understands that such claims are wide of the mark. Hamilton went on to play down fears of any major problems at Mercedes after his turn driving the car on Thursday by insisting that everything went smoothly over the course of the day’s running.

“It has been great to get up and running with the W14,” said Hamilton. “It is always a much-anticipated moment for everyone at the factory that has been working so hard. I’m incredibly grateful for all the effort that has gone in.

“The day has been smooth, we got through a good programme and we’ve come away with some useful findings. I generally felt comfortable in the car and I’m excited to get going in Bahrain.”

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Russell also spent more time getting to grips with the W14 on Thursday and added: “It’s great to get on track with the W14. It was very cold and greasy out there today, but the car ran smoothly, and we completed all the laps we are permitted to do.

“We know pre-season testing in Bahrain will be the first real test of the car. Nevertheless, it looks great out on the circuit and the feeling from within the car is so far, so good.”

It remains to be seen whether the W14 will be able to lead Mercedes back to the front of the F1 pecking order between now and the end of the season, which is set to get underway at the Bahrain Grand Prix next month. A three-day period of testing will take place in Bahrain next week, which will give the Silver Arrows their final opportunity to make any last-minute tweaks before the competitive action finally begins.

Mercedes will be desperate to improve on last year’s lacklustre showing, which saw them register a third-placed finish in the Constructors’ Championship standings after struggling to keep up with Red Bull and Ferrari over the course of the campaign. It seems likely that Red Bull will once again be the team to beat in 2023 unless Mercedes can iron out their previous issues with bouncing, which hampered their efforts on high-speed circuits to put them at a clear disadvantage in comparison to their biggest rivals.

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