JUST IN: Lewis Hamilton ‘for…’ Mercedes admission as Red Bull and Ferrari Baku warning…read more
Lewis Hamilton ‘for…’ Mercedes admission as Red Bull and Ferrari Baku warning…read more
Lewis Hamilton expressed optimism after a strong performance on Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he felt Mercedes was on track with Red Bull and Ferrari. As the team strives to regain its competitive edge, Hamilton highlighted the positive progress made throughout the day, signaling hope that Mercedes can compete with its rivals over the weekend.
After a difficult period since the return from the summer break in the 2024 Formula 1 season, Mercedes has been working hard to recover its performance. The team’s best result over the Zandvoort and Monza rounds was a fifth-place finish, despite having secured three wins in the four races before the break. In Baku, Mercedes reverted to using an older version of its W15 floor to address a drop in performance, which had been affecting them since their successful pre-summer run.
Friday’s practice sessions saw Hamilton finish P3, just 0.066 seconds behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who topped the time sheets, and only 0.06 seconds adrift of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in second. This strong performance was a source of encouragement for Hamilton and his team, who have been seeking answers to their recent form drop.
Hamilton noted that Friday in Baku felt different from other weekends, as the team seemed to be consistently building on its progress throughout the day. He explained that there were no setbacks that required the team to backtrack on their setup decisions, a rare occurrence for Mercedes in recent times. Speaking to Formula 1’s official website, Hamilton shared his belief that they are in the mix with the top teams, but he remained cautious about overconfidence until Saturday’s qualifying session could confirm or deny their potential.
“It was a really good day,” Hamilton said after Friday’s practice. “I enjoyed today, hit the ground running from the get-go, made incremental steps with the setup. For once, it felt like we didn’t have any steps that we had to come back on, it was like consistently building.”
He added that although Mercedes hadn’t completed a large number of laps during the long run, they were feeling positive about their pace. “I don’t know how my long run is compared to others. We didn’t get a huge amount of laps, but Red Bull seem pretty quick, as does Ferrari. But we’re there or thereabouts,” Hamilton noted.
The seven-time World Champion struck a balance between optimism and caution, acknowledging that while Mercedes seemed competitive on Friday, they needed to stay realistic and focused heading into the rest of the weekend. “I think we’ll stay cautious and try to do the best we can with what we have,” Hamilton stated. “I hope that we are as close to the front as it seems maybe, but we’ll find out tomorrow.”
In contrast to Hamilton’s positive day, it was a more challenging Friday for his teammate George Russell. The Briton experienced delays in starting his FP2 session due to a power unit change following the opening practice session. This setback shortened his time on track, and his session was further disrupted when he was brought in early due to what Mercedes later identified as a sensor failure.
Russell’s misfortune left him unable to fully maximize his track time on Friday, limiting the team’s ability to gather useful data for the weekend ahead. Despite these issues, Mercedes will likely be working hard overnight to ensure both cars are in optimal condition for Saturday’s crucial qualifying session.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been a venue of mixed fortunes for Mercedes in recent years, and while Hamilton’s Friday performance gave the team hope that they could challenge Ferrari and Red Bull, the true test will come in qualifying. Should Hamilton’s optimism translate into a strong result on Saturday, it could mark a turning point in Mercedes’ quest to regain their winning form in the 2024 season.
With the potential for surprises at the Baku street circuit and the unpredictable nature of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton and Mercedes will remain cautious but hopeful as they aim to get back on track in the tight race for supremacy with Ferrari and Red Bull.
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