F1 News: Lewis Hamilton's Comeback Suggests Mercedes Renaissance - 'Taken A Step Forward'

Lewis Hamilton impressed with Mercedes' performance improvements at Spanish Grand Prix Friday practice sessions, signaling a potential competitive edge over rivals in the upcoming races.

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (44) during a press conference 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

Lewis Hamilton delivered a striking demonstration of improved pace during Friday's practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix. Located at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the event witnessed Hamilton navigate a significant surge from his initial seventh place in FP1 to clinching the top spot in the second practice (FP2), edging out Ferrari's Carlos Sainz by a mere 0.022 seconds.

Reflecting on the day's performance, Hamilton noted both challenges and advances in a press release from Brackley.

"FP1 wasn't the best session for us but we still learned quite a lot. FP2 was a lot better though and the car was feeling great," he said. He pointed out the difficulties posed by the high track temperatures, which particularly impacted tire durability, confessing, "The track was very hot, so it was tough on the tyres, especially on the long run."

The optimism within Mercedes seems well-founded with recent upgrades significantly boosting their vehicles' capabilities. Hamilton praised the progress saying:

"We have taken a step forward with the pass our performance on track." His teammate, George Russell, also felt positive changes, especially in the configuration used during FP2, even though he finished eighth primarily due to traffic obstructing his flying lap on soft tires.

Russell commented on the evolving dynamics, noting:

"Our long run pace in FP1 was competitive. In FP2, it seemed that our single lap pace was slightly stronger than our long run speed, but overall the car is feeling strong." He optimistically added, "It is only Friday, but it has been a while since we've been consistently at the upper end of the field."

Mercedes' recent advancements were also confirmed by Andrew Shovlin, the team's trackside engineering director. Shovlin shared:

"We made a step forward with the updates we brought to Monaco and Montreal. It's been encouraging to see that the car is working well around a track with plenty of high-speed corners."

Despite the progress, Shovlin remained cautious about the unpredictable nature of qualifying sessions. "Our single lap pace looks competitive and quite close with several other teams," he stated. "It's always hard to know where you stand on Friday given the range of power modes and fuel loads, but we've also had many a good first day followed by a tough qualifying session."

As the Mercedes team continues to refine their strategies based on the drivers' feedback, the focus intensifies on the upcoming qualifying session. The improvements and consistent high-speed performance suggest promising prospects for Mercedes in the races ahead.

Hamilton encapsulated the collective sentiment at Mercedes:

"Everyone has worked so hard to get us to this point and make those incremental gains. Hopefully, we can continue the momentum from today into Saturday and get closer to our competitors ahead."