The British Grand Prix would be the ultimate test of the 2022 season for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. The Silver Arrows are on the verge of losing all hopes of competing for the championship after failing to win a single race out of nine GPs so far. The Briton would hope that he could turn things around in Silverstone if the FIA allows him to compete during the upcoming weekend following the jewelry row. Hamilton\’s exemption to get his nose stud surgically removed is officially over. And if the Briton fails to comply with the FIA\’s orders, he might have to face fines, penalties, or even a race ban during the British weekend.
However, if allowed to race, Lewis could surprise everyone with his performance despite Red Bull\’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari\’s Charles Leclerc being the favorites to win a race in Silverstone this weekend. Hamilton has won the most (8) races in Silverstone and is the fan favorite to repeat last year\’s feat again in 2022 due to his successful runs in the past. However, a ninth victory at the British Grand Prix could be a tall order for the Mercedes driver, with the W13 lagging behind Red Bull\’s RB18 in terms of pace. But Hamilton and George Russell have put up some impressive performances amid their car troubles this season.
Hopefully, the new upgrades coming this weekend for Mercedes could transform their horrific run this year. The Silver Arrow would aim to get closer to the frontrunners and likely compete for a race win. Thus, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has backed Lewis to pull off a surprising performance in Silverstone. The Columbian driver said that he was sure about teams bringing some big upgrades for the tenth race of the season.
Juan Pablo Expects A Hamilton Surprise In Silverstone:
Montoya thought that it would be interesting to see which team made the unexpected big jump. The 46-year-old pointed out that while teams are supposed to have their own evolution, they have the liberty to take pictures and find out what their rivals are doing. It allows teams to go back to the wind tunnel and devise their own solution to improve their cars. Juan shared that he was excited about the betting side of the unknowns this weekend.
The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver insisted that Lewis\’ once in Barcelona was fast enough for the win. He added that while Hamilton W13 may not have had the qualifying pace, his race pace was surprisingly fast. Thus, Montoya felt that if Mercedes took another step to solve their car issues, Hamilton could have enough pace to secure a podium. The former F1 racer mentioned that the home race is a big deal for Lewis. Moreover, Juan added, \”He\’s won it a number of times and that race for him for some reason. Even when things go wrong, he\’s got the luck on his side so many times.\”
Meanwhile, Montoya told that his money to win the Silverstone race was on Verstappen. The Columbian driver added that he would choose Leclerc for a small gamble and Lewis for a big one. He felt that Hamilton and Mercedes could surprise at Silverstone. The 46-year-old concluded, \”If anybody could win in Silverstone, it would be Lewis.\”