It’s no mystery that Lewis Hamilton has been struggling for a long time with Mercedes. But F1 expert Karun Chandok now believes that the British driver could bounce back to his usual form at the Canada GP. Ahead of the weekend, Hamilton himself has given positive reviews about Mercedes’ chances, saying that ‘the car is continuing to improve.’
Speaking during the Free Practice session, Chandok told Sky Sports, “If there’s a track on the calendar where he can re-spark some of that Lewis Hamilton magic, this is it. He loves this place, and won his first Grand Prix here.”
“He’s always been pretty special when he bounces the car, placing it on the kerbs. If he does need to rediscover some magic, this is the place to do it,” Chandhok added.
Lewis Hamilton highlights Mercedes’ biggest gains since start of 2024
With hopes of Mercedes getting closer to championship leaders Red Bull, the British driver explained the biggest gains that his side has made this season. He explained that the car has a smoother ride and much better corner entry stability.
When asked about the possibility of bagging podiums this weekend, Hamilton reiterated that it doesn’t seem so far. Furthermore, he feels even more optimistic, given that both the cars have the upgrades at this track.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve also suits the Mercedes star’s driving style. With a mix of fast and slow corners, Hamilton explained that the track is well-suited for late brakers – an aggressive driving style.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has also pointed out an upward trend in the team’s progress over the current season, especially after the Monaco GP. With a fifth and seventh place finish for George Russell and Hamilton respectively, Wolff also noted that the progress might not be visible in the results just yet but he is optimistic that it is the right direction.
That’s some serious rain ️ pic.twitter.com/4gBzxOu7Sv
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) June 7, 2024
Hamilton is tied for most pole positions (six) and wins (seven) at the Canada track with F1 legend Michael Schumacher. However, given the Silver Arrows’ slow progress, there is still a long way to go for them to beat Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari for pole position.
The one aspect that may make things interesting for qualifying is the unpredictable weather expectations for this weekend. With a 60% chance of rain during qualifying, it isn’t too far-fetched for ‘master of the rain’ Hamilton to rediscover some of his magic.
