Lewis Hamilton Optimistic About A Mercedes Win In 2022 Ahead Of The Austrian GP!

The reigning constructors\’ champions, Mercedes, have unfortunately failed to win a single race in the 2022 championships after 10 Grand Prix races. Lewis Hamilton came closest to a victory during the last weekend in Silverstone. However, several unlucky factors led the Briton to finish third on his home circuit. Moreover, the performance that Lewis\’ W13 showed during the British Grand Prix has made the seven-time world champ believe that Mercedes can win a race this season. Hamilton has won a Grand Prix in each year he has competed in his 15 -season-long career. 

Further, a victory for Lewis this season would allow him to achieve another milestone, eclipsing Michael Schumacher. Unfortunately, the Briton has a tough start to the season after losing the championship to Max Verstappen during the finals race of 2021 in Bahrain. The Silver Arrows have struggled to get hold of the new F1 regulations and generate race-winning performance from their newly-designed car. 

Recently, Lewis revealed that Mercedes\’ upgrades in Barcelona and Silverstone renewed his hopes of winning a Grand Prix this year. The Mercedes driver shared that his team was a long way back earlier this year, and he was unsure if they would be able to win with the W13. The Briton pointed out that it was not the way the Silver Arrows like to think. But given the struggles, they felt there was a long way to go to catch up with the frontrunners.

Hamilton further stated that the last two races were quite strong. It really encouraged Mercedes that they were moving in the right direction and realized the potential of the W13. Hence, the Briton hoped that a little more digging and hard work would get the team a bit closer to having a chance of winning a race. Lewis added, \”So I truly believe we can het a race win this year.\”

Hamilton Downplays Mercedes\’ Chances Of Winning In Austria

Although the Mercedes driver warned that his team might now enjoy Austria as they did not see other circuits like Silverstone. The Red Bull Ring is quite small with low-speed circuits and high-downforce demands, posing a problem for the W13. Lewis admitted that Mercedes had the potential to win the race in Silverstone. He believes that the Silver Arrows\’ performance is not at the same level as the two teams ahead. 

Moreover, Lewis talked about the unlucky situations that his team faced during the last weekend\’s race. The late safety car, pit stop delay, and the crash in the opening lap cost them George Russell\’s retirement and Hamilton lost an early third-place jump starting at P5. However, the 37-year-olf thinks that everything happens for a reason, and it was Carlos Sainz\’s weekend. Hamilton said that Sainz was supposed to get his first win in Silverstone. In addition, the Briton was really happy for the Spaniard.

Talking about Austria, Lewis shared that Mercedes have always struggled at the Red Bull Ring. Thus, it would be hard for Mercedes to win there due to the combination of corners not suiting the W13. However, The British Driver insisted that winning at Red Bull\’s home was not an impossible feat. Hamilton suggested that the up and down weather could be a factor and hoped to be pleasantly surprised on Friday. He concluded, \”I\’ll find out. But I\’m staying hopeful, and the best thing you do is arrive hopeful and positive and navigate from there.\”