Hamilton struggling to tame 'bouncing and bumping' Mercedes W13

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Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes is still trying to get to grips with its W13 Silver Arrow, admitting that heavy understeer and persistent porpoising are making the new car a difficult proposition.

On Friday, George Russell clocked in P8 in the morning session, but while Hamilton markedly improved on his teammate's performance in the afternoon, slotting himself among the top four, the seven-time world champion was anything but satisfied with Mercedes' current situation.

"Yeah, it's tough," he said. "I mean, you can see on the on-board, tank-slappers left, right and centre. You're bouncing and bumping and it's not quite happy at the moment. But we're trying to tame her."

It comes to mind that Mercedes' new upgrade package introduced in Bahrain, including its innovative extra-slim sidepods might be the culprit of the W13's wild behaviour.

But Hamilton suggested that Bahrain's specific conditions were the underlying cause of the car's troubles.

Read also: Sainz comfortably tops second day of Bahrain testing

"It's the wind, it is the bouncing that we have," he said. "We still have that this week, and if anything it's worse.

"So we're just working through lots of different scenarios, trying to figure out how to hold on to the downforce and not have it bouncing as it was in the last test.

"I think everyone's probably in a similar boat. Some have managed to utilise or get around it in a better way.

"But it's difficult out there. It's bumpy, it's slippery. It's sand in the morning. In the morning, it's way too hot. And in the afternoon, it's just dusty."

Despite the struggles, Hamilton was by no means downbeat about Mercedes prospects just a week ahead of F1's season opening round in Bahrain.

"It's just hurdles that we're coming across with this new kind of car that everyone's facing in 2022," he said.

"I'm confident in the team here and back of the factory, that they will figure it out. But it's definitely not going to be a smooth run."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.