Ferrari comeback has Hamilton on edge
● Lewis Hamilton fears he will be the underdog in the remaining six races of the Formula One season. Hamilton heads into today’s Russian Grand Prix in Sochi with just two victories from his last seven appearances — and a disappointing fourth in Singapore last weekend — while a resurgent Ferrari bid for their fourth win in succession.
Mercedes are unbeaten at the Sochi Autodrome, winning all of the five races staged at the circuit.
But Hamilton believes Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel, who ended his 13-month losing streak in Singapore, and Charles Leclerc hold the aces — not just ahead of today’s race, but for the remainder of the campaign.
“We will not be favourites at any of the next six races,” said Hamilton. “It is not my job to worry, but we are conscious of the position we are in.
“We know how fast Ferrari have been on the straights, so for us there isn't a shortterm fix, but there are other areas we can do better in.
“At the last three races, we haven’t extracted 100% from the weekend and that is what we need to get back to. I can squeeze more out of the car, more out of myself. I haven’t done a perfect lap yet this season.”
Mercedes have dominated Formula One in recent years and — despite their minislump — remain on course to win an unprecedented sixth-consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championship this term.
Part of the reason why Mercedes established such a gigantic lead after seven rounds was that they were under almost zero pressure from Ferrari or Red Bull.
Hamilton is 65 points clear of teammate Valtteri Bottas and 96 ahead of both Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The latter will serve a five-place grid penalty today following engine changes, while Vettel is a further six points back with just 156 still to play for.
That said, the gap is already too large. Overturning 133 points in the final six rounds is nearly impossible. Mercedes could finish fourth and fifth in every race from now with Ferrari first and second and they would still win the championship.
Yet, should a silver car fail to take the chequered flag today, it will mark the first occasion since the beginning of the hybrid era in 2014 that Mercedes have gone four rounds on the bounce without a victory.
“Remaining as the leaders is not an easy task so it is understandable that we will have dips,” added Hamilton. “But I have 100% confidence in my guys. We are still the strongest team and while it has not been spectacular recently, we haven’t been terrible.
“Even if this weekend doesn’t go as planned, and the long straights are likely to suit Ferrari, it is not going to change my opinion as to what we will achieve moving forwards. I know we will make it difficult for every other team this year, next year, and potentially the years after.
“So, we are not going to give up. It is not part of our DNA and we will keep pushing.”
A tired-looking Hamilton arrived in Sochi late this week following a Mercedes sponsorship commitment in Malaysia earlier in the week. He then stopped over in Dubai before making the journey to Russia for the 16th round of the 21-race campaign.