Hamilton Eyes Second-Half Surge: Mercedes Looks to Reclaim Their Winning Streak

• F1

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time World Champion, remains cautiously optimistic about the season's second half. Although Mercedes' grip on the top spot seems to have slackened, the celebrated driver is hopeful that they might still surprise a few by the year's end.

A Season of Unexpected Challenges

Hamilton's race strategy and raw talent have always been subjects of admiration within the Formula 1 community. However, this season has been full of ups and downs for Mercedes. When asked about the possibility of a win this year, Hamilton candidly mentioned the intense competition.

“At the moment, I'm not quite sure we can currently compete with [Red Bull] on race pace. I think there were times in [Hungary] Max was around eight tenths faster than everyone on a single lap. But never say never,” Hamilton observed.

Presently positioned fourth in the drivers’ championship and trailing by just one point behind Fernando Alonso, Hamilton reflects on his performance so far, “I think it's been decent. We didn't start where we wanted to be at the beginning of the year, but we just made a lot of progress.

It's been a huge amount of progress over the season so far and hoping that there'll be a lot more in the second phase”.

Targeting a Strong Finish

While it's evident that Mercedes faces an uphill battle against Red Bull this year, Hamilton remains laser-focused on his objectives.

“My full focus is on to try and secure second for the team. I think for everyone back in the factory it means a huge amount for them. And whilst we can't currently catch the Red Bulls, I think that puts us in a good position for next year,” he voiced confidently.

Reaffirming the team's determination and efforts, Hamilton added a note of gratitude for the collective efforts. “With all the amazing work that goes on through winter, we kind of started further behind and so it's been a big, steep, uphill climb.

But really proud of the team. We're fighting for second in the constructors’ championship, which is definitely something we didn't expect after what we felt at the first test. And that's really down to the great teamwork that's happening in the background”.