F1 News: Lewis Hamilton's Love For McLaren Rekindled After Lando Norris Success

The former McLaren champion is full of praise for Lando Norris and the team.

At Silverstone's recent qualifying round for the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton landed in an unexpected seventh place. He finished behind the two McLarens, the two Ferraris, and even his own teammate, George Russell, after a somewhat turbulent second lap. Still, Hamilton remained upbeat, noting, "It was a fun session in terms of trying to get on top of the tyres and the wet patches here and there. It was a good session."

What struck many was Hamilton's high praise for his former team, McLaren. The McLaren cars' performance was an eye-opener for the Brit, who was keen to compare the car to Red Bull's RB19.

"I'm not surprised. I mean, if you look at the car it makes sense and I'm really happy for them, you know. They've had such a bad run for so long.

"So to be back up there is really, really great to see. If you just put [McLaren’s car] alongside a Red Bull it looks very, very similar down the side and it's working.

"So it's great. Now we have another team up in the mix, which is what we want to see in this sport."

However, Hamilton's reaction to McLaren's performance was far from bitter. Instead, he saw it as a reality check for his current team, Mercedes. 

"It's [McLaren’s performance] not a blow, it's just a wake-up call for us.

"Others are overtaking us, so we need to do more."

As for what's next, Hamilton candidly voiced his concerns about Mercedes' chances in the upcoming race at Silverstone. He mentioned:

"Of course I'll try and be optimistic and do my best, but realistically I'm not sure. We'll find out.

"It was difficult to get past the two Ferraris and then I've got two McLarens around there. It's going to be a tough race."

Even with the challenges, Hamilton didn't forget his fans at his home race. He showed gratitude for their unwavering support and hoped to give them a reason to enjoy Sunday's Grand Prix.

""It's always a great feeling to be here for the British Grand Prix. You always hope that you have a great performance for the fans.

"So, naturally today is a bit disappointing that we can't have no more, but hopefully tomorrow we can give them a great performance."