F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Fires Warning To Front Row Rivals - 'Will Be In An Even Stronger Position'

Saajan Jogia | Jul 11, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (44) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has fired a warning to his top rivals in Formula 1 after experiencing a significant performance gain on his W15 F1 car that helped him win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last weekend.

The seven-time world champion made a strong comeback after a prolonged dry spell, marking his first victory since the Saudi Arabian GP in 2021. The team was strong the whole weekend with George Russell starting from pole position and Hamilton securing his ninth win at his home race, setting a new record in the process.

Mercedes has been on the back foot since the start of Formula 1's current ground effect era in 2022, struggling to configure a car that could rival Red Bull's dominant setup.

However, team principal Toto Wolff recently highlighted the crucial aspect that helped Mercedes gain performance and win races in Austria and Silverstone. He attributes the performance boost to a 'moment' when the data started to make sense.

Hamilton believes that the marginal performance improvement has not made the W15 the fastest car on the grid yet. However, he warned front-row rivals such as Red Bull and McLaren that further upgrades in Belgium and Hungary could extract more performance, enabling him to compete at the front more consistently. He told the media:

“There's still a long, long way to go, but the car, by no means, is the car the quickest car on the grid right now.

“I think we are super close, and I think hopefully with a couple of, with the next upgrade perhaps, we will be in an even stronger position to really, really be fighting at the front row more consistently.”

Hamilton currently occupies 8th place in the Drivers' Standings with 110 points, trailing championship leader Max Verstappen by 145 points. As the competition at the front of the F1 grid intensifies and Mercedes continues to regain momentum, the upcoming twelve races of the season promise significant potential for shifts and surprises.