Lewis Hamilton's goal: to fight for victory at Silverstone

In Barcelona, Mercedes took a step forward not only achieving a good result with George Russell 3rd and Lewis Hamilton 5th but also by showing itself competitive especially on Sunday in the race, a first this year. This leap forward, which the W13 owes to the improvements made in Spain, surprised many people, starting with Lewis Hamilton himself. “ We didn't expect that, we hoped to be close to the Ferrari, Charles' pace was ahead of everyone, but I didn't expect to come back this far », Underlines the Briton.

The performance of the seven-time world champion has blown a wave of optimism within the Mercedes team. “ What Lewis achieved on Sunday was truly impressive. This is probably the first time we've all seen this season its true rhythm. No one was surprised by this, we all know what Lewis is capable of », Explains George Russell who revealed that he suffered from cooling problems from the 5th lap of the race, preventing him from keeping up with his teammate's pace.

A better performance in Barcelona for Lewis Hamilton

After having greatly reduced the problems on the W13 such as the porpoising to which it suffered since winter testing, Mercedes can now concentrate on improving performance. “ I think we have definitely turned a corner and I think our season has started in Barcelona, continues George Russell. The first five races were an opportunity to solve problems and I think we did that. We can now focus on development. But it's nice to see that we now have a stable race car that we can rely on ».

What a duel between Russell and Verstappen 😍

The Dutchman comes back strongly on the Mercedes driver, but the Briton uncrosses in turn 1 👏#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1

▶ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/iwiqZyIojS

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) May 22, 2022

After a Grand Prix where he was able to show the racing progress of his car, Lewis Hamilton does not want to get excited, especially in Monaco, a track with many slow turns. “ It's too early to say it honestly, explains the Englishman when indicating whether they will be able to quickly fight for victory. We know there is potential in the car and I think we exploited it in the last race. Monaco is a completely different track, so hopefully we won't have ups and downs from week to week from now on ». 

The German team and the two Britons are continuing their return to the forefront step by step with one date in particular in their sights: the British Grand Prix. “ I hope by then we will be where we want to be, remarks Lewis Hamilton. I know everyone at the factory is working as hard as possible to continue to progress with this car and I hope that at Silverstone we will have the car that will allow us to fight with these guys for victory. » The road still remains long for Mercedes until July 3 in England. With a first big test arriving this Sunday, May 29 in the streets of Monaco.

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