Lewis Hamilton says his Mercedes team is "on the wrong track" and "a long way off the guys in front" as his 2023 season got off to a miserable start in the opening practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
In the second stint, Hamilton could only struggle to eighth place behind surprise pacesetter Fernando Alonso and the seven-time world champion declared: "We found out we are a long way off the guys in front. We kind of knew that from the test but it's a big gap. We are just on the wrong track."
Mercedes had a miserable start to 2022 and it looks as though it will be more of the same this time around as Hamilton went on: "We look as if we are where we were last year if not a little further behind.
