Lewis Hamilton suggests there might be more than the underperforming W13 to contend with at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. PHOTO: Mercedesamgf1.com

BRENDAN LINES, MAY 27 2022

THE unforgiving streets of Monte Carlo could indicate whether the gains made by Mercedes in last week’s race in Spain are lasting, however Lewis Hamilton suggests it may take more than car upgrades to turn his season around this weekend.

Of Formula 1’s current crop of drivers, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has the most wins (three), while thoughts of a podium in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix might beckon, the Brit must conquer more than just the troublesome W13.

“Usually after that race, you are mentally destroyed for a good couple of days,” Hamilton said.

“Other tracks require a mix of physical and mental strength, but in Monaco, the focus is much more on the mental side, due to the levels of concentration needed to lap the circuit. 

“Monaco is a circuit that’s probably the highest in concentration and mental focus,” Hamilton added. “The street circuit nature, the fact it is quite short and there are not very long straights. 

“It’s not a massively physical circuit because we are not doing really high speeds through corners and pulling the g-forces you would somewhere like Barcelona. But your mind is having to work so much faster.

“Mastering a lap in Monaco, of course you’ve got to have a light and nimble car, you’ve got to have great downforce, you’ve got to have the right power to weight ratio, you’ve got to have the right track position, clean air in front of you, commitment, you’ve got to be willing to touch the barriers,” 

Team principal Toto Wolff was able to look back on a smoother performance in Spain, than the previous weekends rocked by the ongoing porpoising issues of the W13.

“It was fantastic to see George battling with the Red Bulls to earn a well-deserved podium finish,” Wolff said.

“While Lewis’ fight back through the field from P19 to P5 was incredibly impressive.”

With upgrades centred around optimising the car’s floor which suited Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Wolff conceded Monaco presents another challenge.

“Monaco hasn’t always been our happiest track, and slow-speed corners haven’t been our strength this season as we saw in Barcelona,” Wolff said.

“But we’ve seen so far this year that anything can happen and we’ll be looking to maximise every opportunity.”

But on the narrow and winding streets around the principality, getting the most out of the W13 might come down to more than just factors that are mechanical — it could be the driver.