This year has not been an easy one. But as Niki used to say: “Winning is one thing – but out of losing I always learned more.” That sums up how I feel about 2023. We have been forced to take a long look in the mirror, and the challenges will make us stronger.
The evidence is clear already. If you contrast where we were in Bahrain, to where we are now, it is a big difference. It was clear in that very first race that we had fallen far short of where we needed to be. From that point, it’s been a constant development process. We’ve made strides in performance and better understood the inherent limitations of the W14.
The progress has been solid. The W14 is more consistent – though never easy for Lewis and George to drive. We have swung from sometimes fighting for podiums and even the win in Singapore, to other weekends having to limit the damage with a handful of points. We haven’t maximised all our opportunities this year. Yet we are second in the Constructors’ Championship. We have a healthy gap over Ferrari in P3. If you had told the team back in Bahrain that we would be in this position, I don’t think many would have believed you. That is testament to the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.