On August 21, according to PlanetF1, Mercedes driver Hamilton assessed the possibility of challenging for the 2024 championship title after winning the last race.
When asked if his performance in recent races made him believe he could compete for the championship, Hamilton replied: “No, that would be too high an expectation. But I mean, if we can keep up the performances from the past few races, that would be great… If we can start the weekends a little stronger, hopefully, we can keep this going.”
Hamilton stated: “Obviously, McLaren was very strong in Belgium, we were just slightly ahead at the start of the race. I think it’s been difficult for all of us in these years to bring the car up to a level where we can consistently fight for wins. But I’m now highly motivated and looking forward to the second half of the season.”
The Englishman added: “Looking at the current competitive landscape, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t fight. If the season had started in Montreal, the championship standings would look very different, so it will be exciting. I think all other teams, including McLaren, Ferrari, and ourselves, are highly motivated to get back to the front. It’s certainly not going to be easy.”
The F1 summer break has ended, with the next Grand Prix taking place this weekend. The specific times are as follows:
⏰2024 F1 Dutch Grand Prix race times (‘)
August 23 – FP1 18:30 / FP2 22:00
August 24 – FP3 17:30 / Qualifying 21:00
August 25 – Race 21:00
It’s worth noting that the lap record at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands is held by Hamilton: 1:11.097 (2021).
So, do you think Hamilton can win the next race?