Lewis Hamilton entered the paddock on Thursday at the Hungaroring with a spring in his step, admitting to a shift in his “body language and energy” since his emotional win two weeks ago in the British Grand Prix.
At Silverstone, racing for the final time on home soil with Mercedes, Hamilton returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since Jeddah in 2021, a feat achieved with an outpouring of joy and emotion by the British driver.
It remains to be seen if the Brackley squad can uphold in Hungary its resurging momentum and solidify its turnaround with a third consecutive win.
But Hamilton is approaching this weekend’s round of racing in Budapest with a fully charged energy level.
“I think we’ll see over the course of the rest of the year,” the seven-time world champion replied when asked if his win last time out was a breakthrough moment.
“I definitely would say my body language and energy has definitely felt a shift in the past week.
“I’m still unsure of what’s up ahead, and I’m just trying to prepare the best I can for it. I guess it just ultimately shows that anything is possible.
“You just need to keep pushing, keep going. There’s going to be turbulence up ahead, I’m sure, but also the possibility of good days.”
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Hamilton admitted that ahead of Mercedes’ win in Austria and Silverstone, the season had been a journey into the unknown, marked by uncertainties and collective on the sporting front but also on the human side.
“We weren’t sure whether or not, result-wise, we were going to get there,” he said.
“We didn’t know that by this point in the season we would be fighting for wins. We are so grateful that we are. Huge, huge boost.
“I don’t think the spirits that we define, the spirits that we have never left this team. But when you’re trying and trying and trying and failing, trying and failing, it’s hard for everyone.
“I would say it’s probably rejuvenated everyone in the team, both here and back at the factory, what is possible and that the hard work is really starting to pay off.
“We’re seeing a huge surge of energy, and it’s filtered through us, so I hope that continues to show in our results.”
Mercedes enjoys a strong track record in Hungary, even during the current ground-effect ear, with Hamilton securing pole twelve months ago in Hungary.
However, the F1 veteran knows all too well that past performance is no guarantee of future success.
“We have a much better race car now compared to last year, so I don’t know where exactly we’ll be competitive on this weekend,” he added.
“We’ll be stronger than we were last year, but I think it’s still going to be close between us and our opponent.
“Red Bull still have the slight edge on us, but we’ll find out I guess tomorrow. And then, yeah, we have a much better race pace than we have had in the past.”
Lewis Hamilton en route to pole position at the 2023 Hungarian GP.
The Hungaroring’s tight and twisty layout is in stark contrast to Spielberg and Silverstone’s fast sweeps, which implies that this weekend’s event will provide Mercedes with a stringent test of its car’s all-round strength.
“I don’t feel like this particular one is the ultimate test,” Hamilton said. “I think every weekend has been the ultimate test of sheer willpower within our team.
“We definitely don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. I think that’s key in our approach.
“But also, it’s game on, we’re fighting, we’re chasing, and we’re going to try and win as many races as George mentioned or compete for as many wins as possible.
“It may turn out this weekend that the Red Bull is ahead still, or the McLaren is still this weekend, who knows?
“But I think what we’ve shown over the past few races is that with determination, with real focus, and just persistently chasing for perfection and improvement, you can make a difference.
“We are united as a team, and we’re going to try and make sure we finish the season on a high.
“And if we can lift the team up the ladder of Constructors, if we can progress, we’re not too far off the drivers up ahead of us, then that would be great.”
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