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Lewis Hamilton confident of ending long wait for Grand Prix victory - ‘We’re definitely getting closer’
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Published 21/06/2023 at 11:33 GMT+1
After 18 months in the doldrums amid continuing Red Bull dominance, Lewis Hamilton is optimistic that Mercedes will be closer to challenging Red Bull in 2024. The seven-time world champion insists that the improvements being targeted by team principal Toto Wolff will allow Mercedes to become more competitive. Meanwhile, Wolff explained that a change to the car will be made at Silverstone.
Verstappen on his dominant victory in the Spanish GP
Video credit: SNTV
Lewis Hamilton is confident of ending a long wait for a Grand Prix victory and believes Mercedes will make a resurgence in form next year.
The seven-time world champion has not tasted success since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021, but says the focus has now shifted to 2024 and closing the gap on Red Bull.
"We're definitely getting closer,” said Hamilton in quotes published by Sky Sports.
“It's going to be a battle of development, I guess, over the rest of the season. I reckon Max's team are already working on next year's car, so we need to take our eye a little bit off the ball and focus on next year also but yeah, happy to be up there.
"In truth, it doesn't feel a huge difference to the beginning of the year. There are some elements of the car which do feel different and obviously with the upgrade, but it's just simply about having a little bit more downforce on the car.
"But the characteristics of the car are very, very similar to what we had earlier on in the year. For next year's car, you need to take a lot of these different things off and change them for sure.
"It's definitely not the car that's going to be able to beat the Red Bull just yet, so we've got to work on that."
That optimism was backed up by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who confirmed that a major upgrade will be brought in for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks’ time.
Hamilton’s performances in particular have given Wolff’s outfit renewed hope of a revival with second and third-placed finishes in Spain, and then Hamilton getting on the podium again in Canada.
Wolff highlighted that improvements to the car to add greater traction out of low-speed corners is an area of focus, but insists it will take time to close the gap on Red Bull.
"We're bringing a larger one [upgrade] to Silverstone, then we should have another one before shutdown,” he explained.
“It's just that the learnings have accelerated a lot since we changed some of them conception architecture, and there should be decent steps coming in the next four races.
"For us we didn't expect to perform here in Canada because how the car DNA is at the moment is more for the high-speed corners, so it's encouraging not be not so far away, but one must not forget that Max is cruising in the front.
"Maybe cruising is the wrong word. Max is still having an easier time in the front, not cruising, but still I think there is margin, so there's quite a gap to catch up.
“I think that the margin is still too big to really be thinking that Max is under pressure. I don't know how much it was this race, maybe two tenths a lap or so, but still far off."
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