Mercedes arrived at the French Grand Prix with a reason for optimism. The Paul Ricard circuit is one of the smoothest tracks in the calendar and has suited the Silver Arrows and Lewis Hamilton in the past. With some upgrades lined up ahead of this race, they hoped to challenge the top two.

However, the qualifying proved to be a hard task. Although Hamilton secured a P4 finish, Leclerc and Verstappen were in a league of their own. The promising signs in the recent weeks have vanished during the qualifying session and now the seven-time world champion believes the focus shifts to next season.

He said, “Everyone is working as hard as they can. Each weekend we come with little upgrades, but sometimes it doesn’t make a difference. That is difficult for everyone.”

“Where I am focused on is trying to understand this car more and working closely on telling the team the bits I do want on the car next year and the bits I don’t.”

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After a frustrating start to the season, Hamilton has found himself on the podium three times in a row, but the team from Brackley cannot dislodge the Red Bull – Ferrari dominance.

Both the Mercedes drivers have not finished above P3, but France provided an opportunity to put an end to the streak. However, Hamilton, in his best lap, was a second off from pole setter Leclerc. So, it is understandable that they are already focusing on next year to compete for the championship.

Lewis Hamilton discusses his chances for the French GP

The French GP marks a special occasion for Hamilton. This will be his 300th Grand Prix start and he will hope to celebrate this special landmark with a place on the podium. With that being said, the Brit at one point was struggling in Q2 but rescued himself in the dying seconds.

Similarly, a stunning last lap in Q3 secured a P4 finish and a chance to fight the front-runners. However, he is certainly not confident of a victory, as he believes that Verstappen and Leclerc have a quicker car than his W-13.

Speaking of his chances of victory, he stated, “No. They are in a different league; we just have to accept we’re not in the same league in terms of performance of the car. But still, I can get a good start, and hopefully I can battle with Perez, maybe. I’m still going to be challenging and fighting for a podium if I can.”

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A P3 finish would mean that Hamilton will stand on the podium for the fourth consecutive time. Can he land on the podium in France?