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Hamilton plays down hopes of starting F1 season with a win
“In the mean time, I am positive everybody can determine that out, we’re not the quickest,” the 37-year-old Briton informed reporters on the ultimate day of pre-season testing on the Sakhir circuit.
“I feel Ferrari look to be the quickest and maybe Crimson Bull after which possibly us or McLaren. We’re presently not on the prime.”
Requested whether or not he had any issues about his skill to struggle for the championship, Hamilton stated it was too early and expressed confidence in his workforce’s confirmed skill to work by any issues.
Mercedes have received the final eight constructors’ championships.
Hamilton stated the brand new automobile had proven respectable reliability and the workforce had obtained by their check programme however it was clear there remained a lot to do.
“In the mean time I do not suppose we’ll be competing for wins,” he stated.
“There’s potential inside our automobile to get us there, we have simply obtained to study to have the ability to extract it… now we have some hurdles to beat.
“Subsequent week we’ll get a a lot better displaying of our tempo however I feel folks might be shocked, possibly. Folks preserve speaking about (whether or not) we’re speaking ourselves down or not however it’s kind of completely different this 12 months.”
Mercedes’s rivals have taken such declarations with some scepticism up to now.
Final 12 months Mercedes had a troubled pre-season, finishing the fewest laps of any workforce, however Hamilton nonetheless received the opening race in Bahrain.
In 2019, Mercedes had regarded as much as half a second off Ferrari’s tempo in testing after which completed one-two in Melbourne.
This season has radically revised guidelines and Hamilton, the game’s most profitable driver of all time with a file 103 wins, stated it felt completely different.
“I feel now we have far larger challenges this time,” he stated. “It should take a little bit bit longer. From what I am informed, now we have a substantial quantity of tempo to seek out.”
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, who adopted the Mercedes intently on Saturday and noticed Hamilton’s struggles with the automobile, was ready to agree.
“I feel they do have some work to be combating proper on the prime, however it’s solely testing,” stated the Frenchman.