Hamilton reassured after inspecting Mercedes W15

Lewis Hamilton reaffirmed his faith in the Mercedes Formula 1 outfit after paying a visit to the team's headquarters in Brackley and Brixworth.

The seven-time world champion met with staff and inspected progress on next year's W15 challenger, coming away confident about the team's prospects.

Over the course of a trying 2022 season that yielded no race victories, Mercedes persevered to clinch second in the Constructors' Championship.

Hamilton commended the "amazing work" of team members in securing a creditable position despite contending with significant obstacles over the course of this year's campaign.

Morale remains high after difficult season

According to Hamilton, the general mood within the Mercedes camp remains upbeat heading into the off-season, with staff "incredibly grateful" to have achieved runner-up position among the constructors in the wake of a subdued showing this year.

Hamilton emphasized the scale of the collective effort behind him, spanning trackside operation all the way to engine development at HPP.

Rejuvenated by the passion and dedication of personnel across Brackley and Brixworth, Hamilton underlined the importance of both recognising long-serving members instrumental throughout his F1 career as well as welcoming new recruits helping to shape the team's future.

The British racing icon also highlighted the increasing diversity being actively nurtured within the organization - a heartening trend he has been eager to see in recent years.

Encouraging signs for W15

Although unable to make definitive assessments regarding Mercedes' readiness for next season, Hamilton drew optimism from his inspection of the upcoming W15 car in the wind tunnel.

While keeping performance-related details confidential at this premature stage of development, Hamilton affirmed his complete faith and trust in the organization's work ethic and capabilities to bounce back stronger next year.

Having been such an integral part of the Mercedes collective for nearly a decade, the veteran world champion feels assured by what he has witnessed first-hand of the W15 project.

Hamilton and the Silver Arrows will be working extensively over the coming months to unlock greater potential and remedy this year's setbacks.