Lewis Hamilton praised the effect of the upgraded floor on his Mercedes for his performance in qualifying on Friday, saying he “really felt it” beneath him.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Hamilton will qualify third for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix after qualifying tenth in Austin behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had looked a contender for pole throughout Friday’s session.
Mercedes only had an hour of practice to become familiar with its upgrades, with Hamilton believing the floor was “one of the first upgrades I really felt” since the switch to ground effect rules in 2022. Have done”, which was a positive step. For Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes gaining ‘more and more knowledge’ about going forward
The focus is squarely on developments in Formula 1 through 2024 and, while the upgrades brought to the current cars may have a direct impact on next year’s cars, Hamilton will be focused in the here and now on the fight for victory on Sunday. ,
With Austin set to be a sprint weekend, the seven-time world champion sat down with Leclerc and Lando Norris and admitted he can’t assess his chances of winning on Sunday given he and the team have a long time at the circuit. There is a lack of information about. Of America.
When Hamilton was asked if there was a chance of victory on Sunday, he replied, “It’s too early to say, neither of us have done a long race, so I have no idea.”
“Maybe Red Bull isn’t in the top three, maybe that makes it a better, closer battle – because they are often quite far ahead and just disappear into the distance.
“So hopefully, we can have a tough fight between the three of us.”
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Mercedes was one of five teams to bring upgrades with them to Austin, with the team confirming that their new floor was their most significant update for the remainder of 2023 as the focus turns to 2024.
Asked whether the updates would have a direct impact on Mercedes’ next car, Hamilton was unable to answer, although he praised his feeling with the car after driving it on Friday.
“I don’t really know if it’s an indicator of something for next year,” Hamilton said in response to a question about the new floor and its potential impact on the Mercedes W15.
“As we continue to experiment, we get more and more information about where we’re going, where we’re directing the flow of the car.
“The floor is not much different. There is always hype about one’s upgrades, but the rest of the car is exactly the same and there are many areas where we can improve.
“But it’s an improvement, it’s one of the first upgrades I’ve really felt in the last two years.
“So that’s a positive thing and we just need to make this move two or three times to get us into super competitive mode, which I believe the guys can do.”
Read further: US Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc takes brilliant pole, Max Verstappen starts P6
Source: www.planetf1.com
