Formula 1 | Hamilton: Beating both Ferraris in race is ‘fantastic’

Lewis Hamilton is back on his second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the Mercedes F1 driver recognizes that this second consecutive double podium with George Russell, his fifth consecutive in a personal capacity, is a real success.

« It’s hugely satisfying. It’s an amazing feeling for us, given the year we’ve had, to see the progress we’ve started to make. » said the seven-time world champion.

« Last week second place was already huge for us, and it’s the second race in a row that George and I have shared a podium, which is fantastic for the team in terms of points. Both finishing ahead of the Ferrari is huge for us, given the pace they’ve had. »

« And, for me, obviously, to start the race seventh and come second is a nice comeback. And I think given the problems we had this weekend, it shows that we have a very good pace. « 

More regrets about qualifying

Hamilton reflects on the moment he says was pivotal to his race: « I would say probably the second stint. I went further in that second stint which gave me the option to switch to the softer tire at the end. »

“That lag that I allowed myself to have. I think the race was probably lost with the first stint, with that medium tyre, but then towards the second and third part of the race it was pretty epic. « 

The Briton regrets the problems that cost him a good qualifying, and he also recognizes that a first stint on soft tires would have helped to aim for victory: « We would have been closer to Max, I think. But who knows? »

« Maybe I wouldn’t have been able to do the same distance on those tyres. And if we had gone where I think we should have gone, without the qualifying problem, I think we would have been fine. best position to face Max. »

« The Potential for a Victory »

With apparent progress and more and more convincing results, Hamilton does not hide that a victory is now the objective at Mercedes: « I hope so. That’s what we’re working on. This weekend there was potential for a win. »

« You saw George on pole. I think if we had both been as well qualified we probably could have worked a little better together. One of us would have had to support the other strategically. . »

« But I think if we’re able to keep that pace in the second half of the season, we can start fighting with the others. It’s the first time we’ve been able to fight with a Ferrari. It’s huge for us. »

Hamilton sees Red Bull still detached in front, but he thinks his team is now very close to Ferrari: « I think the Red Bulls are still in the lead. The fact that Max started 10th, spun and still had a 10 second lead says a lot about their car. »

« But I think we’ve made huge progress again. And having that consistency and two double podiums in those last two races gives us a lot of hope and a huge boost for the second half of the season. »