Hamilton makes a return to the podium by finishing third in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton stated that the Mercedes Formula 1 team is working tirelessly to reduce the gap to their competitors and be competitive for victories this season.
Taking advantage of the progress made by Mercedes in recent weeks, Hamilton secured his first podium of 2024 with a third place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Although he qualified three tenths of a second behind Lando Norris’ pole position time, Hamilton warned that Mercedes would struggle to keep up with McLaren and Red Bull.
Hamilton’s prediction proved accurate, as a slow start caused him to lose ground in the opening laps, resulting in a 17.7-second gap to Max Verstappen.
Although he was pleased to end his podium drought since October, Hamilton emphasized that Mercedes needs more upgrades to be truly competitive.
“It’s a significant boost to finally achieve a good result,” expressed Hamilton. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here on the podium.
“So, I want to extend a huge thank you to the team, who have done an incredible job throughout the race, especially with their efforts at the factory.
“They have been working long hours to bring new components to the car, and we are gradually closing the gap.
“Last year, we were very fast here, but that needs to be taken with caution. However, the recent races have also been quite competitive.
“So, I believe we have made some progress, but we still need to find a few tenths. We will have everyone working together and pushing hard.”
Hamilton dismissed the idea that Mercedes could reduce the current gap, which team boss Toto Wolff claims to be “two tenths” per lap, by subtly adjusting the W15 in its current state.
“No, I think we’ve reached the maximum for now,” he said. “But we are constantly making subtle adjustments to perfect it.
“We will continue to make changes throughout the year. However, we need to add some extra components to the car to compete with these guys.”
However, the seven-time champion agreed that consecutive podiums demonstrate that Mercedes is gaining momentum as he seeks consistently strong race weekends.
“We are definitely becoming more consistent,” he said with a smile. “If I can replicate my qualifying performance this weekend, everything will become much easier. A good start also helps.
“But my Saturdays have been bad for the last 15 races. So, it’s great to have a clean weekend. Hopefully, that puts us in a good position to challenge in the upcoming races.”
