Hamilton: I see myself in Mercedes until the last days

British Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), seven-time Formula 1 world champion, tied in this record with the German Michael Schumacher, is convinced, before Australian Grand Prix, tthe third term of the 2023 F1 calendar, which is seen until “his last days” in the German team.

“I still feel at home. I see myself at Mercedes until the last days,” he commented on his future as his contract expires at the end of this season.

“I have great relationships in the team. As long as I can continue to help push the team forward, contribute … if I ever feel like I can’t do that, it’s time for the younger guys to come in.”

AND Hamilton it is already the second season in a row that we are far from having a competitive car to fight for the World Cup.

“The atmosphere at Mercedes is positive, we all know we’re not where we want to be. I personally want to make sure I’m hungry because when I get the car, whether it’s two, ten or 20 races, I have to be ready for the day,” he said. . .

Your teammate and compatriot George Russell He believes that the limit, for now, is the fight for the podium.

“If we get another fourth place or fight for the podium, we’ll probably exceed the car’s potential,” he commented on his chances in Australia.

“I think Aston Martin will be very strong here. They seem to be the fastest car in the medium-speed corners, which there are obviously a lot of in Melbourne. So if we can fight with Aston Martin and Ferrari again, it would be a good weekend,” he declared.

On the other hand, the Spanish pilot Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) admitted that the Italian team “didn’t” do a “good enough job” in the winter and that because of that they have “a very big difference with Red bullthat “it will be difficult to close”, so they focus on doing it in the “medium term”.

“It is a surprise for us to see that we are not as strong as last year. We are not very competitive, especially in the pace of the race, which is our big weak point. We did not do a good enough job, we understood that and we know where the problem is, which is good.” he said at the press conference on the eve Australian Grand Prix, the third round of the F1 calendar.

“It won’t be a matter of a race or a month, it’s in the medium term. The gap with Red Bull is very big, one of the biggest in the last few years, and it will be difficult to close the gap,” he concluded.