Mercedes were in contention for the victory at the British Grand Prix until their aspirations were dashed by an untimely Safety Car.
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Lewis Hamilton feels upbeat Despite skepticism that F1’s reigning world champions would be as competitive at this weekend’s Austrian GP as they were at Silverstone, Mercedes has hit a “turning point” in its 2022 campaign. For the first time this season, Mercedes and Hamilton were in contention for the victory at the British Grand Prix until their aspirations were dashed by an untimely Safety Car. In his own country, the British driver finished third.
Lewis Hamilton was delighted to finish third at the British Grand Prix, he revealed that the upgrades worked for the team and helped him with the pace. “I think it’s hugely encouraging that we were in the fight. We had an upgrade and I think the race pace was definitely improved. I don’t think we’re in a winning position yet. But we’re not far away. We’re on the turning point… we’re still on the bend. Big improvement on the car, but we’ve still got work to do.”
The Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring, where Mercedes has only won one of the previous five races, comes up next for the team that has won a record eight consecutive constructors’ titles but is currently in a distant third place in the championship race. Red Bull’s home track is short but quick with distinctive, undulating high-speed straights and bends, so it’s unclear whether Mercedes can maintain their recent success.
Read more: 2022 Austrian Grand Prix: Schedule, Timings and Live Streaming details
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff exclaims that Silverstone was very positive for the team but that doesn’t put them back to winning ways. “We have had moments in Barcelona where we saw some light at the end of the tunnel and then the next three street circuits proved that we were wrong, so I don’t want to be too optimistic at this stage. I think Austria was always a little bit difficult. It’s a very different track to Silverstone and one that hasn’t always suited us in the past.”
Sky Sports F1’s Anthony Davidson said that the French GP is the next big chance for Mercedes. ” I did have a strong feeling it would be better than recent races, I thought the track would suit the car, a nice smooth, fast circuit like Silverstone. I think the next one like it will be Paul Ricard. Austria? I’m not so sure. They’ve traditionally struggled there in the past against the likes of Red Bull. But they’re making in-roads to the top teams.”
