Lewis Hamilton ‘really positive’ about Mercedes performance lift but staying cautious on F1 battle versus Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton’s rise behind Max Verstappen in the United States GP may not ultimately go down in the record books following his post-race exclusion, but the improved performance following a car upgrade has still raised expectations of what Mercedes could achieve in the remaining races. this season – and maybe even 2024 too.

Had it not been for a strategy error and slower pit stops than their main rivals at the Circuit of the Americas last Sunday, Hamilton believed Mercedes could have potentially won the race, or at least made Verstappen run even faster, rather than nearly over to reach the finish line. second behind its Red Bull rival.

Hamilton said at the end of the race, before his car was found to be in breach of the technical regulations due to excessive plank wear, that he felt ‘very positive’ about Mercedes’ course after upgrading to the W14’s floor and ‘ incredibly grateful” for the work of the Mercedes team, as it was “nice to finally see the reward of their hard work and feel it in the car too”.

“Feeling very positive because we still have a few races to go,” Hamilton said ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City GP, the first of the final four events of 2023 in five weeks.

“I don’t know what the car will be like in the next few races, but if we’re in a position like this and we have the right strategy and get the pit stop right, we might be right on their heels. and watching some good racing.

“So I’m excited.”

Speak with Sky Sports F1he added: “We need to pick up some of the areas like our pit stops and strategy for the next races this weekend and our pit stops weren’t spectacular. Maybe we can be closer to these (Red Bull) guys.

‘It’s there. Just over there.”

Hamilton on why Mercedes’ task is still big in 2024 | ‘The fact that they are still winning races is still very impressive’

However, the seven-time champion – who achieved the latest of his record 103 wins at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021, 42 races ago – is not yet being lulled into a false sense of security by the seemingly closing gap .

Hamilton pointed out that unlike Mercedes and other teams, runaway champions Red Bull did not have to upgrade their car to any major extent in recent months and were still winning: “He (Verstappen) started sixth and was leading , so in the end I think they were faster.

“He also stopped in front of everyone and still set good times at the end. So they are still in front and will be very, very difficult to beat – and they are not developing at the moment.

“We got upgrades and they’re just chilling with what they already had. So the fact that they are still winning races is still very impressive and we still have a huge amount of work to do.

“Not only in terms of downforce and car performance, but also in terms of operations to be a little more perfect. Qualifying is really good, but in the race we can maybe do a little bit better.”

The Singapore GP in September remains the only one of the 18 Grand Prix of 2023 so far that Red Bull has not won.

Since that deviation for the otherwise all-conquering RB19 on the streets of the Marina Bay circuit, Verstappen has claimed three victories in a row and will be favorite again this weekend in Mexico City.

Hamilton’s observation about Red Bull’s development was confirmed by Christian Horner earlier in the Austin weekend.

“We had a small update in Singapore, but obviously due to the lack of wind tunnel time we focused a lot on next year’s car at a relevant stage,” Red Bull team principal Horner told Sky F1.

“It’s all about optimizing what we have between now and the end of the year.”

But Horner did predict: “It’s going to happen (the field closes). If you have stable regulations, the cars and the teams will come together. So I think this is a harbinger of what we will see next year, where it will be a lot tighter field.”

Verstappen on achieving 50 wins: ‘Still rookie figures compared to Lewis!’

While Hamilton held on to his record of 103 wins and seven world titles, while Mercedes was still looking for an answer to Red Bull in the current rules era, Verstappen has been the driver on the move in F1’s statistical tables for the past two years.

Victory in the US took him 50th in F1, the fifth driver to reach this milestone.

Only Michael Schumacher (91 wins in total) reached his half-century faster than Verstappen.

Forty of the Dutchman’s victories have come in the 62 Grand Prix that have taken place since the start of 2021, when Red Bull first re-emerged as a challenger for the championship.

“Still rookie numbers compared to Lewis!” said a smiling Verstappen, sitting next to Hamilton during last Sunday’s post-race press conference.

Review of Max Verstappen’s 10 best wins in F1 to date

“But it’s certainly a great number and I’m very happy with it, very proud of it. But let’s try to win a few more.”

With four races to go in 2023, Verstappen still has time to pass the career marks of Alain Prost (51) and Sebastian Vettel (53) before the campaign is over.

With another win, the 26-year-old would also break his own record of 15 in a single season, which he set last year.

Red Bull, meanwhile, needs to achieve at least three of the four remaining wins to break Mercedes’ record of 19 wins in a season set in 2016.

When can you only watch the Mexico City GP live on Sky Sports F1?

Thursday October 26
9 p.m.: Drivers’ press conference

Friday October 27
7 p.m.: Mexico City GP, practice one
8:45 PM: The F1 show
10:45 PM: GP of Mexico City, practice two (also on Sky Sports Main Event)

Saturday October 28
6.15 pm: GP practice three of Mexico City
9 p.m.: Mexico City GP qualifying build-up (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
10 p.m.: Mexico City GP qualifying (also on Sky Sports Main Event)

Sunday October 29
6:30 PM: Grand Prix Sunday Mexico City GP build-up (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
8 p.m.: The GRAND PRIZE OF MEXICO CITY (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
10 p.m.: Checkered flag: Mexico City GP

F1 heads straight to Mexico for the middle leg of the US triple header. Watch the entire Mexico City Grand Prix weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday, with Sunday’s race at 8pm. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW