Lando Norris is competing in his home race – the British GP – this weekend, and there is nothing he would want more than to win it. His team McLaren, arguably has the fastest car on the grid, but he believes that emerging victorious won’t be easy. Norris thinks that one particular rival can challenge him, and that is Mercedes, who according to him, has been sandbagging so far this weekend.
Norris claimed that Mercedes didn’t turn up their engines in the first two practice sessions. He spoke about the same in an interview when asked to reflect on his performance on Friday.
He said, “A good start to the weekend. It was not the cleanest, it didn’t feel the cleanest this morning, but with small changes, it felt better. It seems tight with the Mercedes. They probably didn’t turn up the engine“.
Lando Norris: You are right. A good start to the weekend. It was not the cleanest. It didn’t feel the cleanest this morning, but with small changes, it felt better. It seems tight with the Mercedes, they probably didn’t turn up the engine.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) July 5, 2024
Norris had two brilliant practice sessions in Silverstone on Friday, topping the timing charts in both. His teammate Oscar Piastri was right behind, finishing third in FP1 and second in FP2.
Mercedes meanwhile, was nowhere close. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were P5 and P7 in FP1, followed by an even more disappointing second practice, where Hamilton was sixth, but Russell finished 10th.
How Hamilton and Russell performed in Silverstone on Friday didn’t reflect the improvements the Silver Arrows made recently. On the other hand, if their pace is truly slow, Hamilton and Russell are likely to have a rather underwhelming home outing.
British GP likely to be all the more special for Hamilton
Hamilton will compete in his final British GP as a Mercedes driver this Sunday. Having last won an F1 race in 2021, there is no better venue for Hamilton to end his winless run on, than Silverstone.
The one thing that may help Hamilton this weekend is that Mercedes is bringing in upgrades. According to a report, new front and rear wings are set to bolster the Brackley-based team’s performances.
Moreover, they are also bringing in a smaller front brake duct inlet due to the low temperatures expected this weekend. These upgrades could turn out to be very helpful for Mercedes on a track like Silverstone and could potentially give Hamilton the best opportunity of winning a race in his final season with the Silver Arrows.
