The final time Lewis Hamilton reached the highest step of a Components 1 podium, Max Verstappen had but to win a Drivers’ Championship.
May that change tomorrow?
Hamilton’s final victory got here on the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of that marketing campaign. As readers seemingly know Verstappen went on to say the win — and the 2021 Drivers’ Championship — within the following race, the still-debated 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Since then Hamilton and Mercedes have struggled to return to type, however latest upgrades by the crew to their 2024 challenger, the W15, have improved efficiency on the monitor. Now Mercedes is coming off their finest weekend of the season on the Canadian Grand Prix. Saturday in Barcelona Hamilton delivered his finest qualifying efficiency of the yr, ending third behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Following the session, Hamilton made it clear: He’s “centered” on combating for a win.
“I’m going into tomorrow centered on attempting to battle for the win. We’re in an excellent beginning spot with that long term down to show one,” mentioned Hamilton within the crew’s post-qualifying report. “Degradation may also play a key function tomorrow and I believe our lengthy runs in apply regarded robust in that respect. I hope that interprets into Sunday and we will have an excellent afternoon.”
Hamilton is not going to be the one Mercedes on the second row Sunday, as teammate George Russell certified proper behind Hamilton in fourth. On the opposite facet of the storage, Russell additionally believes the crew can battle on the entrance.
“On a circuit like this, the last word race tempo of a automobile will all the time win out. I believe our race tempo regarded good all through the weekend to this point and I hope we will battle for the rostrum and probably victory,” mentioned Russell. “The latest steps we’ve taken with the automobile are clearly serving to and we’re trying ahead to constructing on that momentum.”
It is going to be fascinating to see how Mercedes handles the technique choices on Sunday. Whereas each Norris and Verstappen are beginning in entrance of the Silver Arrows pair, having each Russell and Hamilton within the second row provides Mercedes some choices. Do they go together with a split-tire technique, or will we see each Hamilton and Russell on the identical compound to start the Spanish Grand Prix?
Hamilton hinted at some technique choices accessible to the crew in Saturday’s FIA Press Convention.
“I believe these two [Norris and Verstappen] will probably be very fast, however place is every part … You realize, additionally there’s two of us, so hopefully we will apply strain as a crew to each of the automobiles forward with the intention to possibly play out one thing in technique and slowly climb up,” mentioned Hamilton. “I believe it’s all about degradation tomorrow and the way you take care of the [tires], so we gained’t know till we get into that first run.”
Mercedes enters Sunday’s race within the strongest beginning place of the season. Can they flip that into their finest day of the F1 marketing campaign?
We’ll know quickly sufficient.
