Mercedes 'still have a chunk of time to find to be serious contenders,' feels former world champion ahead of 2022 F1 British GP

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in action during the 2022 F1 Canadian GP (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in action during the 2022 F1 Canadian GP (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Mercedes still have time to resolve their issues and be a serious player in the 2022 F1 World Championship battles, according to former world champion Damon Hill.

The Brackley-based outfit is the reigning constructors' champion but has been a shadow of its former selves ever since the 2022 F1 regulatory changes were put in place.

To put things into perspective, the Silver Arrows' current run of nine races with a win in 2022 is their worst record since Lewis Hamilton's first win with the team at the 2013 Hungarian GP.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports ahead of the 2022 F1 British GP, Damon Hill said:

“I think if you actually look at the race pace, there’s still a bit of a way off. I mean, they sometimes show pace in the race, but then you don’t know how much faster Max could go if he had to, and typically, they tend to try and manage their tyres. They don’t burn out the car as fast as they can if they don’t have to.”

The 1996 F1 World Champion went on to add, saying:

“So I would say that Mercedes still have a chunk of time to find to be serious contenders, but clearly, [we have] a very happy Lewis Hamilton putting on a brave face [after Canada] in what is a very difficult year after losing out on a possible eighth title last year.”

Mercedes boss expecting better performance during 2022 F1 British GP at Silverstone

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is expecting the Silver Arrows to perform well at the 2022 F1 British GP if they can run the car low enough to maximize performance.

Wolff is hoping his team can replicate their showing from the 2022 F1 Spanish GP, one of their strongest performances of the season, later this weekend in Northamptonshire.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports F1, the 50-year-old said:

“I think if we are able to run the car low, then we can be competitive. But you know, after Barcelona, we were cheering that we’re back in a Championship fight and here we go. So let’s see.”

The Austrian also complimented seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for his approach to the season, despite Mercedes' obvious struggles. Wolff added, saying:

“I can say that within the team, he was always very positive in the mindset. How the two [Russell and Hamilton] work together is really astonishing. In the briefings, they keep asking each other questions so I guess it’s gonna be different if you’re race at the very front but it’s super how the two have really had to progress. I’m happy for Lewis because he had the bad luck on his side. He could have been on the podium few times if the Safety Car wouldn’t have worked against him.”

The Silver Arrows are third in the constructors' standings heading into the race weekend in Britain with 188 points after nine rounds of racing and have new upgrades planned for the W13.

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Edited by Anurag C