Lewis Hamilton taking Mercedes’ strong start 'with a pinch of salt’
Six-times Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says he is taking Mercedes’ strong start♕ to the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix “with a pinch of salt” despite dominating Friday practice.
Hamilton proved the class o𒉰f the field as F1 kickstarted with the long-awaited resumption of the delayed 2020 season in Austria by leading consecutive Mercedes 1-2s in both practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring.
Six-times Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton s꧋ays he is taking Mercedes’ strong🦹 start to the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix “with a pinch of salt” despite dominating Friday practice.
Hamilton provღed the class of the field as F1 kickstarted with the long-awaited resumption of the delayed 2020 season in Austria by leading consecutive Mercedes 1-2s in both practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring.
Mercedes finished the opening day of running well clear of its rivals, with Racing Point emerging as its nearest challengers over half a second behind, while Ferrari and Red Bu꧂ll were well off the pace of the reigning wor🦩ld champion squad throughout FP1 and FP2.
“It was great to be back,” Hamilton said. “It’s been a long time coming𝓀, so feels great to feel the new car since February, quite a big difference to the car we got to test at Silverstone.
“I don’t remember what I was like in F🦄ebruary to be honest, honestly it was so long ago.
"♒What’s positive is the car felt good today, definitely feels like in general compared to last year we have continued to improve the car and that is a positive.”
Asked if h๊e f🔯eels Mercedes has the edge over its rivals, Hamilton replied: “It’s difficult to say,”
“It’s definite♐ly looking good out there but you can never take too much from practice and if you look at some of the other teams they💎 were maybe down on power modes or up on power modes or fuel or whatever it may be.
“So we’ll take it with a pinch🐓 of salt, try to improve the car tonight and come back w༺ith it tomorrow.”
Bottas, who could only get within 0.197s of Hamilton all day, ag💜reed with his teammate that it is far too early to sug🍎gest that Mercedes is in a league of its own.
🦋“We see the threat,” he said. “It’s o𓂃nly Friday, it’s only practice and I don’t think any team has yet taken out all the performance they have.
“I’m sure, like I said, the lap times will come down tomorrow, from the track but al𓄧so from the teams and the drivers’ s🐻ide, so, it’s way too early to say. But it’s not too bad right now.”
Le🥀wis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
