“This is one of the first upgrades I’ve actually ‘felt’ in the last two years, so that’s positive,” says Lewis Hamilton after Mercedes’ new floor helped him finish third in qualifying; F1 now ready for Sprint Saturday: Sprint Shootout at 6:30 PM and the Sprint at 11:00 PM
Last updated: 10/21/23 12:51 PM
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes’ upgrade at the United States GP helped the team “get to the next level pretty much everywhere” after battling for pole position and qualifying third in Austin on Friday.
Mercedes has taken the race in Austin to the next level this weekend and although the team has played down its absolute significance, Hamilton was nevertheless in strong form from the start of Friday’s action-packed race at a track where he has won a record five times .
That front-runner form also bodes well for Saturday’s standalone Sprint events, when Hamilton will attempt to better than third in the Sprint Shootout at 6:30 p.m. and then the 19-lap Sprint race itself at 11 p.m. – live continue Sky Sports F1.
“A good session,” said Hamilton, who was 0.139 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on pole.
“Really grateful for the improvements the team has made to the car. Everyone has worked so hard to make these upgrades happen.
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Ted Kravitz takes a closer look at the new Mercedes upgrades and examines whether they can improve their performance during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
“Being so close to McLaren, Ferrari and even the Red Bulls shows how hard everyone has worked.
“The car feels almost the same. It has been upgraded almost everywhere.”
Speaking to F1, Hamilton added: “We are generally a bit faster than before, but unfortunately not fast enough to catch the Ferrari or the McLaren. But we have to keep pushing and I know everyone does.”
Mercedes described the floor update as the “final major” development they would bring to the W14 in the final six weeks of this season, with James Allison saying it would help understand
“I don’t really know if it means anything for next year. As we continue to experiment, we gain more and more knowledge of where we are going and where we are directing the car’s power.
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Having been absent from the past two races, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff admits he is relieved to be back on track for the United States Grand Prix, as he insists that Mercedes co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, could be a real asset to Manchester United.
“The floor isn’t that much different. There’s always hype about someone’s upgrade, but the rest of the car is exactly the same and there are a lot of areas where we can improve, but this is an improvement.
“This is one of the first upgrades I’ve actually ‘felt’ in the last two years, so that’s positive. We only need two or three times of this move to get us into a super competitive mode, which I think the guys can do it.”
When can you watch the US GP and F1 Academy Final live only on Sky Sports F1?
Saturday October 21
- 3.30pm: F1 Academy Race One
- 6 p.m.: build-up of the American GP Sprint Shootout
- 6:30 PM: American GP Sprint Shootout
- 9.15pm: F1 Academy Race Two
- 10 p.m.: build-up of the American GP Sprint
- 11 p.m.: American GP SPRINT (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
- (Sunday) 12:30 PM: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
Sunday October 22
- 3.30pm: F1 Academy Race Three
- 6:30 PM: Grand Prix Sunday: build-up to the American GP
- 8 p.m.: THE GRAND PRIZE OF THE UNITED STATES (also on Sky Sports Main Event)
- 10 p.m.: Checkered flag: response from the American GP
- 11pm: Ted’s notebook
Watch Formula 1 return to Texas this weekend for the United States Grand Prix and another sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW