Since the season started, Red Bull has been the benchmark. Rather than competing for wins against Red Bull, teams have been competing against each other to get closer to the Milton Keynes team. In this fight, Mercedes didn’t start on the strongest foot. But after bringing a revamped car to Monaco, whose performance shone in Barcelona the following weekend, Lewis Hamilton & Co. looked like they were gaining ground. But the upward trajectory seemed to plateau at the Austrian GP, with Aston Martin and Ferrari closing in on Mercedes. And since then, another team has joined the fray.

McLaren proved to be a nightmare for Mercedes at the Austrian GP. The pattern seems to have continued at the British GP this weekend, where the McLaren duo shocked everyone after qualifying second and third—Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri—for Sunday’s race. Looking at the progress the Woking team has made in the past few weeks, Lewis Hamilton didn’t sugarcoat his demand for the Mercedes garage.

Lewis Hamilton & Co. needs to improve to avoid a setback

McLaren went from competing at the back of the midfield to challenging the front runners in a matter of weeks, and a massive reason for this was its upgrade package. The Woking outfit brought the first round of its upgrades in Austria. They seemed to work there, with Lando Norris out-qualifying Hamilton, after which the seven-time champion struggled to match the young Brit’s pace in the race.

Coming into the British GP, Mercedes introduced a new front wing. But that has yet to make a difference because it looks as slow as it was in Austria. Seeing how big a step McLaren has made recently and how much it’s closed the gap between Mercedes and its direct competitors, Hamilton urged his team to follow suit.

After qualifying, as quoted by speedweek.com, Hamilton said, “This is a wake-up call for us. I wouldn’t consider this a setback but a warning that we need to be on our guard. Other racing teams overtake us, we have to do more.” In the past, Mercedes has always been one of the front-runners in the development race over a season. But this year, other teams like McLaren have shown better signs of development, and Mercedes doesn’t have any answers at the moment.

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Considering the Mercedes duo qualified in sixth and seventh—Russell ahead of Hamilton—behind the two McLarens and Ferraris and ahead of Alonso’s Aston, they have work to do to maintain, if not improve, their position. Hamilton added, “Of course we’re trying to remain optimistic. But realistically, it’s not entirely clear to me what we can do. We have two Ferraris ahead of us, and now we also have to deal with two McLarens. I know one thing – the race will be hard work.” As much as another team joining the Mercedes fight concerns Hamilton, a part of him is also delighted.

Lewis Hamilton dreams of a closer field

Every driver dreams of competing at the front of the field, not just dominating. Hamilton had his fair share of domination during the turbo-hybrid era when no other team could quite compete with Mercedes. But rarely did leading the pack ever involve close-quarters, wheel-to-wheel racing. And as much as drivers dream of winning, they also dream of competing like they did in their karting days.

In a podcast before the British GP, Hamilton opened up about his dreams of the field getting closer. He said, “As a sport, we have to have a conversation about how we can set it up to be better for the future, so we have tighter races. If possible, the pack is closer.” The pack has gotten closer, seeing how McLaren has joined the fight with Ferrari, Aston, and Mercedes. And he expressed his happiness for McLaren after qualifying, saying, “I’m really, really happy for McLaren. To see McLaren up there is the highlight of the day for me.” 

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Can Lewis Hamilton & Co. at Mercedes turn their season around like McLaren seems to be doing?