Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes challenge at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix has left his rivals feeling they have lost some of their power.
Team George Russell locked down the front row of the grid for today’s epic race after winning yesterday’s race. Hamilton finished third and gained a place on the grid due to Carlos Sainz Jr’s penalty.
The Mercedes drivers moved to the front in the sprint, both passing world champion Max Verstappen. Hamilton feels his team has clearly improved but this weekend will not dictate their results.
“Of course I think so [we’ve taken] One step,” he said. “We know there are some real changes we can make to the car to put us back in a better fighting position for next season.
“I don’t quite get it, we’ve definitely taken a step forward but it’s like the other two teams have taken a step back. I don’t know if it’s right or not, but I definitely feel that way.”
The team expects to continue its winning streak in the 2023 F1 season. “I think we definitely know where we’re going and what we need to do to put ourselves in a fighting position for next year,” Hamilton said. “So we’re going to be super focused. Everyone I know is already ready to attend this summer and make the effort.
Team-mate Russell believes some of their gains have come from reducing the weight of the W13, which the team has managed to overcome aerodynamic problems at the start of the year.
“Obviously the car is probably a little thinner than it was at the beginning of the year,” Russell said. “So what we got was a little free lap time.
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“Maybe the characteristics of the car are a bit better. So it’s definitely difficult to put a number on how much the car has improved. But I think the lap times speak for themselves.
Mercedes has been in contention for victory on several occasions this year but is yet to win a grand prix. “We’ve had a chance to win these last three races as a team,” Russell said. “We weren’t there at the beginning of the year.
“I think we all feel confident that we’re on the right track to get back to where Mercedes is. I think that’s very exciting for all of us.
He added: “The factory has been firing on all cylinders over the winter and everyone will be very motivated to come back. “This result is a morale-booster for everyone, and just what we need to keep pushing.
“If we can hit our targets, our targets are absolutely correct. And we have to continue on the way we are now and see what we can do next year.
But Sainz is confident the Ferrari, which was off the pace in Mexico two weeks ago, will not lose performance this weekend.
“I’m sure we’re not going backwards,” he said. “I think they did a better job of improving the car and putting less power on the car.
“I don’t feel they have much of a gap to close in the winter, because I feel they are the fastest today. So if anything, it’s us and Red Bull, we have to know that if we want to be faster in the race next year, we have to keep improving by putting some power in the car.
“We’ve seen it before: the rate of growth in Meer is second to none. I think all these past seasons have shown that whether they are leading or starting the season on the back foot, they are always a team that has grown a lot. It shows that we have had a good winter. Not only that, but we have to make good progress in the competition next year.
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2022 Brazilian Grand Prix
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