Hamilton planning Zoom calls in push to save Mercedes’ F1 season

The seven-time world champion sits 43 points behind championship leader Charles Leclerc after he finished fourth and one place behind new Mercedes teammate George Russell in last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. 

Mercedes have been focusing on damage limitation results across the opening three rounds of the season as it continues its bid to address the severe porpoising issues that have hampered the performance of its W13 car.

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Wary of losing further ground to rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, Hamilton will make a fresh demand for more developments to help improve Mercedes’ competitive situation in the hope of salvaging a title challenge this year. 

"There's a lot of work, and there'll be a lot of calls, naturally," Hamilton replied when asked about his plans before the next race in Imola. 

"I'm on a lot of Zoom calls with all the sponsors and our bosses, really trying to rally them up. We've got some improvements that we need to make. And we need everyone's support in doing so, in just making sure we leave no stone unturned.

“It's making sure the hunger is really there and we're maximising absolutely every moment.

“I'm chasing the people that are in the wind tunnel, the aero guys, and just looking at absolutely every single area. There’s performance to be gained in areas that we know.

“And we need it now. Not in two or three races as we all know as a team. We have just got to keep that encouragement and keep that energy high.”

Hamilton remains ‘optimistic’ about title chances 

While Hamilton admits the challenge facing Mercedes to catch Ferrari and Red Bull is a steep one, he is not yet willing to rule out a bid for a record-breaking eighth world title. 

"I prefer to stay optimistic" he explained. "There are 20 races to go. If you think realistically, with the way how the sport goes in terms of everyone's development, the top teams often develop at a similar pace and similar rate. Will that be the case with this new car? Who knows?

"I'm really, really hoping we can get in the fight soon. But with every bit of improvement we will probably make, [Ferrari] and Red Bull will probably make a similar sort of step, so it's not going be easy. And yes the gap is pretty big right now but there is a long way to go.”

After its worst start to an F1 season for nine years, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff put his team’s chances of winning the world championship this year at around "20 percent”. 

"I think we are on the back foot," Wolff admitted after qualifying in Australia. "If I look at it from a mathematical standpoint and probability I would say the odds are 20/80, but this is motor racing and in motor racing anything can happen.

"Teams can DNF and if we unlock the potential of the car we are right back in the game. So as a racer I would say it's probably 40/60 and as a mathematician I would say the odds are worse against us.

"But it's the third race of the season and we are not going to write the title off, so it's just the current status quo - we are 0.9s off."