Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes can continue their strong form heading into the second half of the Formula 1 season but played down the possibility of challenging for the Drivers' Championship. (More Motorsport News)
Formula 1: Hamilton Plays Down Championship Challenge Ahead Of Dutch Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes can continue their strong form heading into the second half of the Formula 1 season but played down the possibility of challenging for the Drivers' Championship
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes can build on their recent showings before the summer break
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful Mercedes can build on their recent showings before the summer break
Hamilton, who has scored the most points in the last five races (95), currently sits sixth in the standings, 127 points behind leader Max Verstappen.
After a slow start to the season, Mercedes have seen a rapid turnaround in fortunes, picking up more points than any team since the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
The 39-year-old earned victories at Silverstone and Spa, while team-mate George Russell also won at the Austrian Grand Prix to close the gap to Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.
With the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, Hamilton has the chance to record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022 between Canada and Hungary (five) but acknowledged the difficulty of potentially challenging for an eighth world title.
“No. It would be high hopes,” Hamilton said. “But, I mean, if we can continue this kind of performance as we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic.
"I think if we can start our weekends off a little bit better, hopefully we can continue.
“I think, obviously, the McLaren was very strong [in Belgium], we were just a bit further ahead early on [in the race], but yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”
The final 10 races of the season will mark Hamilton's last as a Mercedes driver before his switch to Ferrari to link up with Charles Leclerc for the 2025 campaign.
For Russell, he is yet to find out who will be lining up on the grid with him next season, with Prema Racing's Kimi Antonelli the frontrunner to replace Hamilton.
The 26-year-old finds himself eighth in the Drivers' Championship, missing out on victory in Belgium after being disqualified when his car was found to be underweight.
However, the Silver Arrows' recent form has given Russell confidence about their chances of a consistent title push in 2025.
“I think for all of us, it's been a difficult couple of years getting the car into a place where we can consistently fight for victories," Russell said.
"But I'm so motivated, so excited for the second half of the season, which is ultimately building up towards 2025.
“And when you look at the competition now, there's no reason why we can't fight.
If the season started in Montreal, the championship standings would be looking very, very different, so, it's going to be great.
“I think there's so much motivation from all the other teams to get back to the front, from McLaren, from Ferrari, from ourselves.
"So for sure, it's not going to be easy, and hopefully we see a good fight on our hands into next year.”
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