Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes is inching closer to the front of the Formula 1 pack, even though the Canadian Grand Prix practice sessions were plagued by rain. Despite the limited data, the new upgrades seem promising.
Mercedes unveiled a revised front suspension wishbone, complementing the new front wing used in Monaco, which featured a more conventional design compared to earlier in the season. Heavy rain hampered both practice sessions, limiting the team’s ability to fully assess the enhancements. However, the upgrades helped balance the W15 between the front and rear.
Hamilton felt optimistic during the wet-weather runs on Friday. While cautious about making predictions, he noted that the car seemed to be closing in on the top three teams: Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. “Honestly, it’s too early to say where we are,” Hamilton remarked. “I feel like I’m in fighting spirits, I feel the car is reacting to my inputs and as I said I feel really confident out there. But we won’t know until we get out on Saturday; it’s often a different day for us and I’m hoping tomorrow’s a good day. In either condition, I felt really strong today, so I’m really hopeful. I feel like we’re closer to the front this weekend.”
After a 20-minute delay to the pit lane opening in the first practice session, Hamilton was eager to hit the track. He encouraged his team to get him out as soon as possible, aiming to make the most of the track time available despite the weather conditions. He was also keen to understand the resurfacing work around Montreal, noted for its smoother finish from late last year.
“It felt great,” Hamilton said. “I was just raring to go, just every second I was telling the guys ‘let’s get out, let’s get out,’ I was rushing them, ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’ just to maximize time on track whatever the conditions. This is a track where it’s building blocks, so it’s about just getting as much time on track and understanding both conditions and also the changes they made to the surface and to some of the run-off areas. It was a really good session and the car was feeling strong.”
While it’s still early days, Hamilton’s initial impressions from the rain-soaked practice sessions are positive. With the new upgrades seeming to balance the car better, the Mercedes team remains hopeful for a strong performance in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Source: Motorsport
