F1 News: Mercedes Could Be The Team To Beat After The Summer Break - 'There Is Confidence'

Alex Harrington | Aug 3, 2024

May 3, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (44) races out of turn 17 during F1 Sprint Qualifying at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

As the Formula 1 season prepares to resume after what seems to be a long summer break, all eyes are on Mercedes, a team that has recently disrupted the grid with its formidable resurgence. Winning three of the last four grands prix, the Brackley outfit has effectively challenged Red Bull’s dominance in the sport. With victories spanning from George Russell's triumph in Austria to Lewis Hamilton's celebrated return to the top at Silverstone and Spa, this team has reignited its competitive spirit.

Initially, the Belgian Grand Prix seemed to solidify Mercedes' comeback with Russell leading a potential 1-2 finish until a turn of events saw the Briton disqualified for a weight limit breach, subsequently elevating Hamilton to first. This victory, albeit under unusual circumstances, marked a significant moment in the season, raising questions of whether Mercedes could indeed return to the top on a more consistent basis.

Insights from Stoffel Vandoorne, the Aston Martin reserve driver, during the F1 Nation Podcast, discussed this idea and how Hamilton has helped get the team in this position:

“They had a difficult Friday,” he admitted. “Look at Lewis’ season, he often has a difficult Friday because he’s a driver who likes to play with the car’s tools and its set-up

“He gets an understanding of how the systems work then, come Sunday, his mind is in the zone.

“He knows the car available to him and he deals with that. We’ve seen him much stronger on race day than his qualifying performance, although they are still very good.

"He’s an incredible racer with a good feel for the tyres. So did George, managing them perfectly and crossing the line first,"

Meanwhile, Tom Kristensen, a nine-time Le Mans winner, has also recognized a palpable boost in team morale.

"There is confidence in the team again," Kristensen said. "For two years, they [Mercedes] almost crawled out of the paddock. This was a 1-2, I know it doesn’t count.

"They were racing for a 1-2. Austria was different, there was contact between Max and Lando which created opportunity. At Silverstone Lewis took it but if Lando did a better strategy, maybe Lewis wouldn’t have won.

“But [at Spa]? They won. They qualified in the wet. They did all the things they could, in terms of strategy.”

Russell's trajectory within Mercedes has also been a focus, despite setbacks like his recent disqualification at Spa. Vandoorne praised Russell's evolving capabilities.

“George is a guy who won all the junior series, so he’s obviously talented.

“He had a couple of years at Williams where he showed incredible qualifying pace, Already back then, Mercedes could see how fast he was, what pure speed he had. But also how good he was at managing tyres,

"He has it naturally, to manage the tyres well. He came to Mercedes where the pressure is a whole different level.

"He’s stepping in next to Hamilton, the driver who broke all the records, He has held up well, qualified well. He had rough patches - the crash in Singapore - but he is maturing. He is delivering week-in week-out.”