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Hamilton hungry in F1 record pursuit - Wolff

Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton has not been put off by the disappointing start to the 2023 season, as the team look to change their troubled car concept.

Toto Wolff thinks Lewis Hamilton still has an appetite to achieve a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 world title with Mercedes. The W14 has not produced the rebound that was expected for the team after achieving some late success last season in Brazil, with the squad admitting the car concept must be changed to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari for wins. During pre-season testing the early signs were there, with Hamilton later going on to claim that the team did not listen to him over his concerns with the car design direction. A change in technical leadership with Mike Elliott and James Allison swapping places should enable them to achieve better results, with Wolff saying that Hamilton will remain persistent in his mission to become an eight-time F1 World Champion. "I think he feels very much that he's strong and we feel the same that we're not gonna race for a driver championship this year. That is what it looks like at the moment," said Wolff to media, including RacingNews365.com . "We just need to give him a car that can do that, and hopefully we can get our package to a winning package to season and then have something that can bring him his eighth title."

Wolff in a 'really good place' with Hamilton

Wolff says Hamilton is still "motivated" to achieve success with the team given their recent rough patch, continuing to say that he is in a "good place" when it comes to their working relationship. "I've no doubt that he's motivating to achieve that, so that's what he loves to do, that is his ability," he added. "We have a great relationship personally myself with him, and within the team he's been one of the strong pillars in the last 10 years, so we're in a really good place." Hamilton has yet to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, achieving just nine podiums last year and one in 2023 so far at the Australian Grand Prix.

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