Lewis Hamilton future left in the air as Mercedes chief makes honest admission

Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of fighting Max Verstappen for victories this season have taken a major hit after technical chief James Allison admitted that the cost cap is having a major impact on the team’s ability to bring consistent upgrades to the car. This news could have unforeseen consequences towards Mercedes’ hopes of tying him down to a new deal.

Hamilton’s future with Mercedes has been a contentious topic this year with the seven-time world champion still yet to commit to a long-term renewal of his current deal. 

Team principal Toto Wolff had previously suggested that only a few minor details were holding up the signing of the deal, but as weeks continue to pass by with no announcement, speculation suggesting that there could be something holding back the agreement is building. The development of the W14 could be one of those factors.

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Speaking to Motorsport.com about the impact of the cost cap on the team’s upgrade plan, Allison explained: “The lag between what the car sees and what the wind tunnel is doing is how quickly you can drop the wind tunnel geometry into the design office, and how they can spit that out into manufacturing to make.

“Back in the day, when cost cap wasn’t there, then you could drop those things out the wind tunnel pretty much every other day, and people would furiously design them and then you’d furiously build them, which meant the lag between where the tunnel was and where the track was always only a few weeks. 

“Nowadays, you can afford maybe to drop two or three major or major-ish upgrades in a season, and then that just tickles things in between.”

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The W14 was the third-fastest car in the field when the opening weekend of the season got underway in Bahrain back in March, but the Brackley-based team have worked hard to streak clear of Aston Martin in the battle for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.

With the increased performance of the W14 has come improved qualifying pace too, with Hamilton ending his pole position drought at the Hungarian Grand Prix after pipping Verstappen and compatriot Lando Norris to the top of the timing screens.

However, the W14’s race pace remains a far cry from that of Red Bull, and with the team struggling to find a spare budget for upgrades within the cost cap, it is unlikely that Hamilton will claim a Grand Prix victory on pace before the end of the 2023 season.

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