Hamilton disappointed with the performance of his Mercedes after the first day at Le Castellet
After the first day of free practice on the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France, Lewis Hamilton believes his Mercedes is further away from the leaders than at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton only ran one practice session on Friday in Le Castellet. After handing over his seat to Nyck de Vries during FP1, the British driver reclaimed his position in his car for FP2.
Despite finishing in fifth place behind his teammate George Russell, the seven-time world champion believes that his team has lost ground compared to the leading teams like Red Bull and Ferrari. Despite this, Hamilton believes he can continue his impressive streak of podium finishes. With our fourth and fifth places, we are where we need to be. That doesn’t mean we can’t aim for the podium. I think we can get there. I’m just saying that we’re not as fast as the four guys in front. We are a little further back than we were in the last races.
With its fast turns and smooth surface, the Paul Ricard circuit should suit the Mercedes. But Hamilton explains that the team still has a lot of work to do and a long way to go. He adds, “The car is not spectacular here, we don’t know why. We hope to make a big step forward overnight.”
The Mercedes engineers will therefore have to find the right settings to allow their drivers to get closer to the top of the race for the rest of the weekend.
