The summer break is over and F1 returns with the Belgian GP this weekend. The iconic circuit, famously known for its notoriously high-speed racing at the famous Eau Rouge and Radillion sectors will be looking to provide another cracking race. Red Bull are arguably cruising through the championship at the moment, followed closely by Ferrari. While Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have endured a difficult start this year, they will be hoping to bag their first win of the season.
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Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes enjoyed a decent run of form prior to the summer break. Both Hamilton and Russell finished on the podium for the first Mercedes double podium of the year in Hungary.
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But things didn’t go according to plan for them in Friday’s FP1 session. Lewis Hamilton finished 6th in the session, almost 1.4s behind leader Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver said, “We’re just not very quick, and I don’t know why,”
When asked if he felt it is something salvageable, he added, “We’re going out and giving everything we’ve got, it’s just, yeah, it could be tires, it could be tire temps, it could be ring level, could be multitudes of things”
But the seven-time champion is still keeping his hopes up, saying, “It doesn’t feel disastrous out there, it’s just we’re a long way off. We just gotta work hard tonight to analyze the data, try to figure out where we can get this car.”
DIVE DEEPER
It will be interesting to see how Sunday pans out for the Mercedes driver, as both Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will start at the back of the grid after taking penalties.
Lewis Hamilton hopes Mercedes can turn things around at Spa
After a run of five consecutive podium finishes, Lewis Hamilton’s streak looks in danger of breaking. The former McLaren driver complained that they were, “a long way off”, from their rivals and hopes that his team can turn things around on Sunday.
Formula One F1 – Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium – August 28, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during qualifying REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Hamilton said, “It doesn’t feel the same as it did in, at the last track, on in, like in qualifying kind of time, but on Friday, Friday and Saturday morning, it feels kinda similar to that now. So that gives me hope that we can turn it around,”
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Hamilton and Mercedes fans alike will be hoping that things do fall in their favor on Sunday as they wait for their much-awaited win of the season. Last race’s pole sitter George Russell also wants to be looking to improve on his third-place finish in the Hungarian GP.
WATCH THIS STORY: WATCH: Unseen F1 Footage as Lance Stroll Nearly Takes Lewis Hamilton Out of Hungarian GP
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After claiming that Mercedes’ first win is around the corner, Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to be proven right on Sunday as he steps in his W13 car. The top two racers are already starting from the back of the grid which likely gives Hamilton the perfect opportunity to make the most out of the situation.
Do you think Hamilton and Mercedes will finally break their draft this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Did you miss our previous article...
https://formulaone.news/mercedes/data-analysis-who-is-winning-the-battle-of-the-f1-teammates
