Lewis Hamilton has expressed cautious optimism about the latest Mercedes upgrades ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, acknowledging the steep challenge of immediately reaping the benefits of the new package. After a promising run of form earlier in the season, where Mercedes secured three wins, the team has struggled to maintain that momentum post-summer break, managing just one podium in the last four races.
Hamilton, who hasn’t appeared on the podium since his victory in Belgium in July, believes the recent three-week break came at a crucial time for Mercedes to analyze their shortcomings and regroup. However, he remains realistic about the impact of the upgrades, given the tight schedule and the Sprint race format at the Circuit of The Americas.
“Normally the team is on the move all the time, so they’ve definitely had time to analyze where we’ve gone wrong,” Hamilton explained. “But we’ve been a bit out of sync compared to others. Teams like Ferrari brought upgrades to Monza and Zandvoort, whereas we’re only bringing ours now.”
Hamilton elaborated that while Mercedes had been working tirelessly to resolve the car’s deteriorating performance, especially with the floor, the team had struggled with setup consistency. “We’ve lost our way a little bit with the setup. I think we understand where we’ve veered off, and hopefully, we can start back on a better balance this weekend,” he added.
The Sprint format in Austin adds another layer of complexity, limiting teams to just one hour of practice before heading into Sprint Qualifying. Hamilton admits this short preparation window makes it “pretty impossible” to fully understand the new upgrades in time for the race. “Unless you’re lucky and the upgrades work from the get-go, it’s hard to get it right straight away,” he explained. “Last year, we came here, and the balance was sweet, but that’s rarely the case.”
While Mercedes hopes the upgrades will pay off, Hamilton remains measured, emphasizing the challenges of simulation work that hasn’t always been ideal. He pointed out that while some teams like McLaren and Red Bull seem to get their setups right immediately, Mercedes has struggled to hit the ground running in recent races.
George Russell echoed Hamilton’s sentiments, highlighting that the team had been forced to revert to an older floor design after introducing a revised version in Belgium. He believes this weekend’s upgrade could deliver a more significant improvement. “We’re effectively making two steps forward with this upgrade,” Russell said. “I hope we can be in the fight again, especially in qualifying, aiming for the top four and potentially a podium in the race.”
Both Hamilton and Russell are aware of the stiff competition from McLaren and Red Bull, who currently hold a performance advantage. Nevertheless, the Mercedes drivers are hopeful that the new package will help them close the gap as the season enters its final stages.
