After a rough start to the year, Mercedes are slowly getting back on track. They are working on closing the gap to frontrunners Ferrari and Red Bull. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have been the only two drivers with a real chance of winning the championship in 2022. Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has struggled since the start of the season after missing out on his eighth title last year. The Briton has finally come into his groove as he secured his season-best second-place finish in Paul Ricard. The Mercedes driver finished ten seconds behind Verstappen, who won the race after Leclerc crashed during lap 18.
Meanwhile, Hamilton has been chipping in continuously, securing four straight podiums since Canada. Although Mercedes has not won a single race this season. And their W13 is still far from the race-winning pace of the frontrunners. However, Lewis recently revealed that he is excited about Mercedes’ chances going forward into the season after being left behind at third place in Austria to watch Verstappen and Leclerc’s battle for the win. The Briton finished almost thirty seconds behind the race leaders. But, there was certainly some kind of improvement as Lewis finished just ten seconds behind Verstappen in France.
After an incredible performance in France, Hamilton warned the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers that Mercedes have a lot more to offer this season during the upcoming weekends and months. The 37-year-old was happy with the consistency Mercedes had shown and revealed that he was getting comfortable in the W13. Moreover, Lewis added that the Silver Arrows are sure of the car’s setup, its position, and what it would accept with each outing. Hamilton mentioned that the qualifying crash in Austria was an instance when the car bit him.
Hamilton Felt Lonely While Watching Leclerc & Max’s Battle From Afar
Lewis Hamilton stated that his team was constantly adding performance and progressing ahead. He teased that there was a lot to come during the next few races. Hence, the Briton is excited about the car. He mentioned that the W13 was a few tenths off the pace of the frontrunners during qualifying. Lewis was watching the Austrian GP on TV and hoped to get a little bit more in his car to battle for a win soon. But Lewis is positive that Mercedes was slowly getting closer to the front. Hamilton even insisted that the gap could get bigger on some tracks.
The Briton shared that he felt lonely after making it to third place during the race. He was 30+ seconds behind Max and Leclerc and observed where they were down the straights after the race on TV. Lewis stated he could see the two drivers coming through turn 6 when he was coming out of turn 1. He had a fan view of the battle ahead of him. The Briton concluded, “I saw some of the overtakes they were having. I think they did replays and studd.”