Lewis Hamilton says F1 2023 was emotionally drained than being burnt out, as he is confident that the 2024 car won’t be replica of 2023.
With the big calendar in 2023, it was hectic for all and several drivers did complain about being burnt out. Mercedes’ Hamilton didn’t feel that as much, but there was emotional drainage especially with everything happening all around the world.
“I’m not burnt out,” said Hamilton. “I’d rather not keep going into the season, but I think for me, I was just more emotionally drained at the end of the year. It definitely has been so difficult for everybody here, all the teams moving from Las Vegas out to Abu Dhabi. I think it should be better in 2024.
“It was obviously a very long season. I think really with all the negativity in the world as well, it’s been quite draining just to maintain a positive mindset through the year,” summed up Hamilton, who feels confident that Mercedes won’t have a replica of the 2023 car in 2024 from what he is seeing in the factory.
“Looking back, I think getting pole position in Budapest, we didn’t think that was going to be possible when I first drove the car this year,” recalled Hamilton. “The upgrade that we saw in Austin and the fact that given a couple more laps, we may have been in shooting range for a win.
“Just seeing that we are slowly morphing this car into a more competitive machine. It’s got more and more enjoyable to drive. To be in a fine position where you’re actually going forward rather than backwards has been positive. But it was still fundamentally not a winning car.
“And that’s what we’ve got to change this year. So, the dream is to make sure that when we start in few weeks time, that it’s not a replica of this 2023 car or feel exactly the same. But I’m pretty sure that’s not going to be the case,” summed up Hamilton.
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