Mercedes Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have downplayed their practice bests at the Canadian Grand Prix, insisting they still feel behind their main rivals.
The duo led the extended second free practice in Montreal, which took place after first free practice had to be abandoned due to problems with CCTV.
But along with the performance boost brought by the Spanish GP upgrades, their form at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has raised hopes of another real challenge this weekend.
However, both drivers felt that the timing of their low fuel runs towards the end of the FP2 session flattered their performance compared to the main competition.
Hamilton said: “The car didn’t feel bad, but I think we definitely have some work to do.”
“[It was] not the best, but far from the worst. So it feels pretty decent. It’s just bumpy.
“I think everyone struggles with the bumps. I think we just need to improve our driving control and cornering balance. I think we’ll be fine.”
Russell explained that while the team posted the best times, it was unclear where Mercedes’ real pace compared to the competition.
“Of course I don’t think we can read too much from the times. We did our low fuel qualifying prep towards the end of a session when the track was faster.”
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“But I think the improvements we made to the car in Barcelona have removed the limitations that we probably would have had more with the old car spec.”
“We have to figure out where we’re going to be. I think we’re still at the bottom compared to Ferrari and Aston Martin, especially in terms of qualifying pace.” Valtteri [Bottas] Looked fast, maybe an Alpine too.
“But we always know it’s coming to us on a Sunday, so it depends. It looks wet tomorrow. Let’s see how it turns out at the end.”
As Mercedes is now contesting its third race with its new upgrade package, Hamilton said he remains encouraged by the step taken.
When asked how different things felt on track, he said: “I can only go by the comparison to last year and it’s hugely better than last year.”
“It’s not necessarily the rear, but overall the car is just a step forward. I think I definitely feel the improvements that we felt in Monaco.”