I don't think Hamilton's cockpit preference is really a thing. W11 was a ridiculous transoceanic tanker and the cockpit was very far forward because extending rear axle rearwards allowed greater floor area and downforce and I can't remember him ever complaining about cockpit position
The idea behind W13 and forward cockpit position was packaging and aligning CoG with expected CoP position. Like Ferrari, Mercedes went the classic route of venturi floor design in 2022 - placing the throat fairly forward and replicating aero foil geometry with the tunnel roof, which places overall CoP more forward than going with Red Bull route. Inwashing and clean rear end was a packaging consequence, because you need to place everything as close to CoG in all directions to reduce inertia of the car.