Lewis Hamilton has revealed Mercedes told him he was 'wrong' when he was complaining about his car prior to his winless 2023 season in F1.
The Briton failed to secure a single race victory last term, with Max Verstappen dominating the sport as he cruised to a third straight Formula One title.
Hamilton has now opened up on his issues with Mercedes in the new series of Netflix's Drive to Survive series.
He says he had concerns about Mercedes' car from day one but, upon raising his worries, the Silver Arrows were dismissive.
Lewis Hamilton has opened up on Mercedes in the new series of Netflix's Drive to Surviveq
NETFLIX
“I remember complaining to the team and being like, look, we have to make these changes, otherwise this is the trajectory we’re going to go on and this is where we’re going to end up,” he said.
“Please, please do something about it.
“I remember they said, like, we know what we’re doing, you’re wrong.
"And that was definitely an interesting moment. I was like, okay, I’ll step back, don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.
"Then when we got into the season, then we spoke again [they said] ‘oh, maybe you were right'."
Hamilton also sheds light on how Mercedes' decline has impacted him, too.
The Silver Arrows were once the sport's most dominant side, especially during the Briton's spell of four titles in a row between 2017 and 2020.
But they have fallen well behind Red Bull in recent years, with Verstappen benefitting the most.
Hamilton says the woes of the Silver Arrows has impacted him so much he can't even remember what winning feels like.
But he's still determined to win with Mercedes ahead of his move to Ferrari next year.
"My goal is to get back on top and win a championship again," admitted the Stevenage-born racer.
"But then we get in the car in 2023 and it's the evil sister [of 2022].
"I can't really remember winning, it's been like a minute to be honest.
"I don't remember what that feeling is. It is what it is, we've just got to take it on the chin and just acknowledge that we did not get it right, we took the wrong decision and start taking big strides in the right direction... before it's too late."
After the sixth race of last season in Monte Carlo, one scene from the Netflix series shows Hamilton moaning over the team radio.
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Lewis Hamilton raises concerns about his Mercedes car prior to his winless 2023 season in the new series of Drive to Survive
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"The car is terrible, I feel helpless," he said.
"I can try and deliver each weekend but you can only do so much with what you've got."
After the race, Hamilton then proceeded to say Mercedes weren't fixing the problems he wanted to resolve.
"The weakest part of the car is the rear end," he told the team during the race debrief.
"That wing is really a barn door, it's very very draggy. Last year was the same and the year before that was the same."
Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to end his time with Mercedes on a high as the new F1 season approaches
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Intriguingly, there's also a segment when Hamilton opens up on his decision to sign a new Mercedes contract last year.
He penned a two-year deal but has now opted to leave for Ferrari, fulfilling a 'childhood dream' in the process.
And Hamilton, speaking long before his move was confirmed, claimed sticking with Mercedes was a 'leap of faith'.
"OK we've had two difficult years but I still have so much belief that Mercedes and all these people in this team have the ability to build a great car," Hamilton said.
"You've just got to take a leap of faith."
