Mueez Ajao
– Mercedes have narrowed the gap to Formula One leaders Red Bull and Ferrari and may not be too far from winning again, seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton said after Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
– Hamilton finished third at Silverstone, a record 13th time he has finished on the podium at his home race, and led for the first time this year. He also set the fastest lap for a bonus point.
– Reigning champions Mercedes, struggling with a bouncing car for most of the previous races after dominating for the past eight years, brought in a package of upgrades to improve performance.
Also Read: Carlos Sainz wins British Grand Prix
– “We’ve made a step closer to them. So we’ve got to keep pushing,” said Hamilton after a race won by Ferrari’s Spaniard Carlos Sainz, with Red Bull’s Mexican Sergio Perez second.
– “The fact that we were able to follow and dice like that, lap on lap, is a testament to the direction I think that we’re now in. I was just grateful that I could be in the battle. Because I’ve not been in that fight for a while.”
– The podium was Hamilton’s third in 10 races but the result meant that for the first time in a Formula One career that started with McLaren in 2007 he has gone 11 races without a victory.
– Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the final race of 2021 in controversial circumstances to take his first world championship.
– “I think it’s hugely encouraging that we were in the fight,” said Hamilton.
– “For a good period of time, I was matching the Ferraris’ pace, and even better at some stages. And we got the quickest lap at the end.
– “I think the race pace was definitely improved. That’s been our strongest part of our car, I think, this year in general. But it’s definitely helped us get a little bit closer.
– “I don’t think we’re in a winning position yet. But we’re not far away.”
💬 “We’ve got some improvements to make but this is a huge bonus for us to be on the podium. Thank you to everybody, we’re going to continue to push.”
Lewis, George, Toto and Shov reflect on the #BritishGP 👇
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 3, 2022
