Lewis Hamilton states Mercedes are not as competitive with Paul Ricard this weekend as they had been two weeks ago in Austria.
Nonetheless, the group thinks they nevertheless have a probability to proceed their podium finish this weekend.
“We’re fourth and fifth nowadays so it truly is type of the array we are fighting for,” Hamilton explained after today’s exercise.
“I’m not stating we can not be on the stage, I imagine we can even now be there. We’re continue to not as fast as these front-runners – we are a bit even more away from in which we have been in the closing race.
Although he did not push the auto in the opening session, Hamilton “made some improvements” to his established-up amongst classes when Nick de Vries took above. It was so nuts that I didn’t even push the automobile from Nick’s spot.
“He did a good position this early morning, he stored the auto in just one piece and was truly excellent out there,” stated Hamilton. “So I’m grateful for the operate he did this morning.”
Mercedes expects the combination of rapid corners, smooth surfaces and high temperatures that arrived at Paul Ricard to play into their hands. But Hamilton stated the staff experienced “a lot of work to do, a good deal of floor to deal with” soon after resuming Friday at Ferrari and Purple Bull.
“The car or truck just isn’t remarkable below, we don’t know why, but ideally we can make a very little bit of development tonight,” he explained.
The staff lacked speed “in all places” all around the track, Hamilton explained. “It’s just each and every corner. I will have to dig deeper into the info, but it appears like we are functioning minimal electrical power currently. But in any other case it really is alright, I can only have sympathy for the boys even in retrospect.
“I think over-all this era of vehicles is nowhere around as superior as what we had ahead of in phrases of dealing with and things,” he included. “But also simply because it can be the initially year of this generation, I’m sure it will get greater more than the a long time.
But we have obtained get the job done to do and we are a little driving schedule this weekend.
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2022 French Grand Prix
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