Hamilton Points Out Crucial Difference Between His And Russell's Victory

F1
Tuesday, 09 July 2024 at 22:00
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Lewis Hamilton pointed out one key difference between his and George Russell's victories following the 2024 British Grand Prix.
Mercedes, which started the 2024 season as the fourth fastest team, finally made its breakthrough around the Monaco/ Canadian Grand Prix weekend and unlocked a huge amount of performance.
Ever since, the team has consistently introduced upgrades at every circuit (which they plan to continue doing until summer break) and has slowly made progress toward the front.
This led to two consecutive victories at the Austrian and British Grand Prix, scored by each of their drivers. The latest one—in Great Britain—was achieved by Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking to the media after the round at Silverstone Circuit, the seven-time World Champion discussed the race, why it felt special to him, and more.
More importantly, he pointed out the difference between his victory and George Russell's, which was key for the German team moving forward.
"Yeah, I think hugely, hugely grateful to everyone in the team. I think this is just hats off to everyone. Niki would definitely take his hat off, but everyone that's continued to work hard, everyone in the garage that's continued to show up each weekend and not get downbeat by results.'
"I think George's win last week was amazing, but it wasn't on pure pace and I think this weekend was the first time we did it on pure pace."
Basically, the 26-year-old Mercedes driver wouldn't have won the Austrian Grand Prix under no circumstances had it not been for the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
But the fact that Hamilton won the race in Silverstone (Russell could have won it as well if it weren't for technical problems) on a pure pace means that Mercedes can realistically think about competing for wins in upcoming races like Budapest and Spa. Hamilton added:
"Even pulling in that first stint, both of us pulling away from everybody else. And then ultimately, I think with the conditions today, the drivers able to make a bit of a difference."