Lewis Hamilton not expecting miracles from Mercedes - Formula 1 news
Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton is expecting no surprises this year, despite the fact that he and team-mate Nico Rosberg ended the final preseason test in Barcelona
in top three overall. Moreover, they gained a lot of mileage, which proved that there are no technical issues with the car too.
“I don't think there are any expectations, no,” said Hamilton, “If anything, I feel like I have a free ticket. It's a year where we know we may not have the best
package, but it's a challenge for me. It's just more for me to enjoy working with the team and improving.”
The one-time formula 1 champion enjoyed a great time with McLaren for so many years and won numerous races with the team. However, he failed to add more titles
to his tally, mainly because of some reliability issues every year.
Due to this, he decided to make a move to Mercedes for the 2013 season, which has brought some new challenges for him. The German squad does not have the package
to win the championship this year, but things can change over the next couple of years, especially with the new V6 turbo engines coming in from 2014.
Mercedes struggled with tyre wear since the team made a comeback to formula 1 in 2010. However, there was some improvement compared to previous seasons at the start
of last year, as Rosberg brought up the maiden victory for the German outfit in China.
There were a couple of more high points for the team last year, with Michael Schumacher scoring a podium once and also claiming pole in Monaco. However, the performance
went away with the passage of time and similar circumstances could recur this year for the team.
Despite that, some of the rival drivers believe that Hamilton can turn things around for Mercedes. According to Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, “Lewis is a driver who has
always shown he can fight for the championship. He is very, very quick, and he has always proven that when he has a competitive car, he is going to be fighting for the wins and for the championship.”
In 2008, the Brazilian driver got beaten by Hamilton by just one point in the drivers’ championship.
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