In a dramatic shift of fortunes that has sent ripples of optimism through the paddock, Lewis Hamilton has expressed strong belief that the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team was poised to challenge for victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. More significantly, the seven-time World Champion suggests that the resurgent Silver Arrows could now genuinely contend for race wins throughout the remainder of the thrilling 2022 Formula 1 season. This renewed confidence follows Mercedes’ strongest performance of the year, culminating in a double podium finish at the Hungaroring, signaling a potential turning point in their challenging campaign.
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Despite starting seventh on the grid, Hamilton masterfully navigated the race to claim a well-deserved second place, finishing just 7.8 seconds adrift of race winner Max Verstappen. This impressive result came even after a challenging qualifying session for Hamilton, where a persistent DRS (Drag Reduction System) glitch compromised his ultimate pace, preventing him from extracting the maximum performance from his W13 challenger. His teammate, George Russell, demonstrated the raw potential of the car by securing a sensational pole position, adding further credence to Hamilton’s claims about their newfound competitiveness.
Reflecting on the weekend’s performance, Hamilton articulated his conviction: “I genuinely believe this weekend, there was a real potential for a win. You witnessed George securing pole position. Had we both been in contention at the very front, I envision a scenario where we could have collaboratively worked much more effectively as a team, strategically supporting each other to dictate the race pace and potentially secure the top spot.” This insight underscores the strategic advantage of having two cars fighting at the sharp end, a luxury Mercedes has often enjoyed in previous dominant eras.
The 2022 season has been a rollercoaster for Mercedes, beginning with significant struggles related to ‘porpoising’ and a lack of outright pace that saw them regularly trailing over a second behind their rivals. However, the engineering prowess and relentless dedication of the Brackley-based squad have yielded gradual, yet profound, improvements to their W13 car. Hamilton sees the consecutive double podiums in France and Hungary as a definitive indicator of their trajectory. “If we are able to sustain this formidable pace and carry it forward into the crucial second half of the season, there’s no doubt we can legitimately start to fight wheel-to-wheel with the front-running teams,” he stated with conviction, eyeing Red Bull and Ferrari.
The Hungarian Grand Prix represented a significant milestone for the team. “This marks the very first time this season that we’ve been in a position to truly fight and engage in battle directly with a Ferrari on merit,” Hamilton elaborated, highlighting the palpable progress. “That achievement alone is immense for us.” While acknowledging the formidable challenge still posed by Red Bull, particularly after Max Verstappen’s stunning drive from tenth on the grid – even including a spin – to a comfortable victory, Hamilton remained pragmatic yet hopeful. “The fact that Max started tenth, had a spin, and still managed to finish a full ten seconds ahead speaks volumes about the raw speed and efficiency of their package,” he conceded. “Nevertheless, I firmly believe we have made monumental progress and taken huge strides forward. To achieve this level of consistency, culminating in two double podium finishes in these last two races, injects us with tremendous hope and provides a powerful impetus as we head into the second half of the championship battle.”
George Russell, who meticulously converted his pole position into a solid third-place finish, offered a more immediate, albeit realistic, assessment of the race winner. Russell candidly admitted that Max Verstappen was simply “too fast” for the Mercedes W13 to contain around the twisting and technical Hungaroring circuit. His race narrative underscored the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the event.
“It was always going to be an exceptionally tricky afternoon, largely due to the intermittent rain in the air throughout the race,” Russell recounted. “Normally, if you’re on pole position and it’s spitting with rain, you’d typically feel quite disappointed, as it can disrupt your clean start and strategy. However, knowing that I was starting on the soft compound tyre, I was actually quite excited, almost rubbing my hands together with anticipation. I managed to execute a truly excellent start off the line.”
“The initial four laps were incredibly strong; I managed to build a significant gap, pulling out around three seconds, I believe, to Carlos [Sainz Jnr],” Russell continued, detailing his early dominance. “Then, unfortunately for us, the rain showers eventually ceased, and the medium compound tyres, particularly on the Ferrari and Red Bull, began to come into their optimal operating window, truly finding their own pace. Despite this shift, we still maintained a very strong first stint, holding our own.”
Explaining the team’s strategic calls, Russell added: “We made the tactical decision to pit early on both occasions during the race. Our primary objective was to try and cover the threat from Max and to pre-empt the strategies of the Ferraris, forcing their hand. Ultimately, despite our best efforts and strategic plays, Max was simply too rapid and untouchable for us on that particular day.” This candid admission highlights the raw pace advantage Red Bull still possessed, even with a grid penalty and a mid-race spin.
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The Hungarian Grand Prix thus serves as a compelling chapter in Mercedes’ 2022 narrative, showcasing their remarkable turnaround from early-season struggles. The consistent development of the W13, from a car plagued by ‘porpoising’ and performance deficits to one capable of challenging for pole positions and podiums, is a testament to the team’s engineering resilience and strategic acumen. While Red Bull and Max Verstappen still hold a clear advantage in terms of raw pace and championship lead, Mercedes’ recent performances, spearheaded by Hamilton’s experience and Russell’s burgeoning talent, inject significant excitement into the latter half of the season. The prospect of seeing the Silver Arrows genuinely competing for victories in the upcoming races, potentially disrupting the Red Bull-Ferrari duopoly, is a mouth-watering prospect for Formula 1 fans globally. The focus now shifts to how Mercedes will continue to refine their package and whether they can indeed translate this newfound optimism into tangible race wins before the season concludes, setting the stage for a thrilling and unpredictable conclusion to the 2022 F1 championship.
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