Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes is closer to the front of the grid despite the limited data available after two Canadian Grand Prix practice sessions held in variable conditions.
Mercedes introduced a redesigned front suspension to tie it in with the new front wing it used in Monaco, which featured a more conventional upper element design compared to its separate upper section that they started the season with.
The wet weather affected both sessions and thus limited the amount of time Mercedes could learn from driving line-up improvements, but it also helped to balance the W15 between the front and the rear.
Hamilton felt confident in the wet weather for two sessions, and while he noted it was too early to predict where Mercedes would ultimately finish, his initial feeling was that they could start to close in on the top 3 teams. Red Bull.
“Honestly, it’s too early to say [where we are]. I feel like I’m in a fighting mood, I feel like the car is responding to my shots and like I said, I feel really confident out there,” said Hamilton.
“But we won’t know until we go out on Saturday, often the second day is [bad] for us and hopefully tomorrow will be a good day.”
“In both conditions, I felt strong today, so I’m really hopeful. I feel we are closer to the top this weekend.”
After a 20-minute delay in the opening of the track in the 1st session, Hamilton declared that he wanted to take the track first and urged his team to give him enough time on the track.
He added that his desire is to develop his understanding of the work on the Montreal track that was carried out late last year, which is generally considered much easier.
“The feeling was great. I was just asking to go, every second I was telling the guys: let’s go out, let’s go out. “I was rushing them: demo, let’s go to maximize track time.”
“This is a track where the blocks are built, so it’s about getting as much track time as possible and understanding the conditions and also the changes they’ve made to the surface and some of the run-off areas. It was a really good session and the car was strong.”
