Hamilton set to be granted wish as details emerge about W15 design changes

Mercedes will keep their seat position further back for the upcoming season, according to Motorsport.com, which should give the seven-time world champion more comfort and better feeling with the rear of the car. 

The seating position in Mercedes’ W14 became a talking point last season after Hamilton complained he was struggling to extract the maximum performance from his car due to feeling “like you’re sitting on the front wheels”. 

It has been claimed that the W15 will have no design link with its predecessors - the flawed W13 and W14 cars. 

A new chassis, new front and rear suspension, new gearbox and refined aerodynamics and sidepods are reportedly among the most visual changes to Mercedes’ 2024 challenger. 

The expected introduction of a smaller gearbox opens the door for a layout more suitable for the current generation of ground-effect cars, while suspension tweaks should address weaknesses with balance and weight at the rear. 

Such changes, led by returning technical director James Allison, will surely please Hamilton, who recently revealed he has been at the factory “much more often now” to keep tabs on Mercedes’ development progress ahead of the new season. 

Hamilton will hope the W15 can propel Mercedes back into title contention and enable him to end his long win drought stretching back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.