Lewis Hamilton makes major F1 prediction

Lewis Hamilton makes major F1 prediction as McLaren boss sends warning to… Read More 👇

Lewis Hamilton believes the second half of the F1 season will be incredibly competitive as teams return from the summer break. The seven-time world champion, who has won two of the last three races, including the most recent race in Belgium, predicts a thrilling conclusion to the season. His optimism comes as Mercedes, after years of struggle, appears to be back in contention, winning three of the last four races. Hamilton is excited to see the close competition between teams and drivers, marking a significant shift from the early season dominance by Red Bull.

Max Verstappen, who still holds a strong lead at the top of the drivers’ standings, has won only three of the last nine races, suggesting that the gap between him and the rest of the field is narrowing. Meanwhile, McLaren has emerged as the fastest team on the grid, allowing both their drivers to secure race wins for the first time this season. This resurgence has added an extra layer of excitement to the championship battle, with Lando Norris now potentially in a position to challenge Verstappen’s lead as the season progresses.

Hamilton commented on the current state of the championship, expressing his delight at the intense competition. He noted that the quality of drivers at the top is exceptional, making the battle for the title even more exciting. “It’s really fantastic, I think, for the sport, to be having such close teams and drivers,” Hamilton said. “The pedigree of drivers at the top today are really elite and amazing. We didn’t expect to be competing with the McLarens or the Red Bulls at this point in the season, you know, with how we started off, so for us to now have closed up and be… It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season, for sure.”

As the paddock prepares to resume racing at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, one of the main storylines will be whether Norris can close the gap on Verstappen as the reigning world champion aims for a fourth consecutive title. Achieving such a feat would place Verstappen among a select group of drivers in F1 history.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to improve further in the second half of the season. He revealed that McLaren has not introduced any major upgrades since the Miami Grand Prix, yet they have still managed to be highly competitive. Stella hinted that significant developments are in the pipeline, which could enhance their performance even more.

“Talking for McLaren, we seem to be now in condition to cash in some of these developments that we have accrued in the background,” Stella said. “I would expect that for the second part of the season, we will have multiple paths, and in a way, I am surprised that we have been so competitive, considering that from Miami onwards, we haven’t actually brought trackside many new parts. It means that the Miami upgrade was big, but there’s some upgrades that will come in the second part of the season.”

However, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has tempered expectations, acknowledging that every team has its strengths. He pointed out that while McLaren was particularly fast in Budapest, other teams, like Mercedes and Ferrari, have also shown strength at various races, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this season’s competition.