The British flag is raised by Lewis Hamilton.
Winning the British Grand Prix on merit, Robert Doornbos believes Mercedes have found the “sweet spot” with W15 and that will make “all the difference” to their season.
Despite George Russell securing Mercedes’ first victory of the season in Austria, Sunday’s win at the Silverstone circuit marked their first triumph solely based on speed.
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While in Austria, Russell benefitted from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ lap 64 clash, at Silverstone it was the full Mercedes package – car, strategy and driver – that clinched the win.
After a 945-day wait, Lewis Hamilton secured his first Grand Prix victory by crossing the finish line 1.4 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff dubbed it an “honest win” based on real pace.
According to Doornbos, this could potentially be the pivotal moment in the Brackley squad’s season.
“It took a while at Mercedes, but they still have the people in-house who can do it,” Doornbos told Motorsport.com of the team’s progress.
“You can also get intoxicated from numerous small sips! By taking several small steps, they eventually reached the optimal performance level of the car, commonly referred to as the ‘sweet spot’.”
In the current season, gaining three-tenths, similar to McLaren, can be a game-changer for you.
Wolff specifically credited James Allison, the technical director of Mercedes, for spearheading the team’s turning point where the data suddenly became comprehensible.
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The ex-F1 racer commended Hamilton for his strong determination, as he battled with countless thoughts and uncertainties before emerging victorious at Silverstone.
He achieved his ninth victory at the Northamptonshire track, setting a new F1 record for the most wins at a single circuit. Additionally, this remarkable win marked his 150th podium for Mercedes.
According to Doornbos, Lewis has also faced a significant amount of negativity directed towards him.
“Having made the decision to part ways with Mercedes last winter, he naturally had aspirations of concluding his tenure with the team on a positive and memorable note. However, it is important to acknowledge that achieving such an outcome is not entirely within one’s control.”
However, he has now delivered that spectacular conclusion by securing his ninth victory in his home race, thereby establishing a new record for the most wins in the same Grand Prix.
“This is the epitome of excellence.”
According to Ralf Schumacher, Hamilton has effectively silenced those who criticized him and proven that he has made a strong comeback.
“He informed Sky Deutschland that there have been opinions suggesting that his time may be up, questioning his age, and speculating about Ferrari’s potential dissatisfaction with their choice.”
“However, we are now back to the starting point – Hamilton has returned. Tales like this exemplify the allure of motorsport and Formula 1.”
Mercedes have outscored their rivals in the five races since the introduction of flexi front wing, the Brackley squad bringing in 142 points, but they remain P4 in the Constructors’ Championship.
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