The Mercedes factory in Brackley was abuzz with hope throughout the weekend at the 2022 Formula 1 British Grand Prix as the track characteristics at Silverstone were ideal for the W13, with fast corners.
However, the German single-seater was not the fastest, as perhaps could be expected in the team after seeing the statements of their boss, Toto Wolff , who even thought they could win.
On the day of qualifying, the rain appeared, so the conditions were even for everyone, and anything was possible. With three rounds to go, Lewis Hamilton had the opportunity to make amends to his public for the criticism he received all year for his poor performance compared to his partner, George Russell, and the seven-time champion took his stripes for a walk to finish fifth, only behind the Ferrari and the Red Bull.
Once he got out of the car, the Briton spoke to the press to record all the hours his team has dedicated to offering him a car to match: “The team has worked very hard to have some improvements for this weekend We had a lot of parts around the car and the car has improved.”
However, he still doesn’t have the feeling he wants with the W13 : “We still struggled with the rebounds in the corners, which is where, particularly the Red Bull, was pulling away from us, but with the rain we were fighting for the front row, and until the penultimate lap we were on top”.
“They asked me to abort and wait for the last lap but then it rained so it was a bit unlucky,” Hamilton lamented of his British Grand Prix qualifying attempts.
Asked if the magic had returned to the cockpit of his Mercedes, the Englishman replied: “Yes, but we lost too much temperature on the cool down lap. I wanted to put a faster power mode on for the last lap, charging the battery etc. , and while we were doing it it rained a little more”.
“I was very hopeful, because we have an amazing crowd, and all of a sudden I was in the fight, so I was feeling really good, coming in second by a bit, so I thought I could go faster. I think I was two tenths up, so I loosened up for another attempt on the next lap, but it couldn’t be”, explained the seven-time champion.
“We have a good car for the race and we’ll keep working, it’s not the worst position to start of course, and in the last few grands prix I would have been very happy with this,” said Hamilton after finishing fifth. “It’s the British Grand Prix, you expect something more, and I think I was on track to get it, but we’re going ahead and I’ll try and get something special tomorrow.”
With the intention of stepping on the podium again as in the last 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver notes the difference in the car compared to the beginning of the year: “Baku was a very bumpy circuit, this is a much smoother circuit, also in the high-speed corners, but we still have rebound”.
“It is not aggressive for the physical, so it only affected the balance. The car has improved, so we have to continue working, because there is a lot of potential that we have not yet fully exploited,” said the Englishman.
