Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes still have “a mountain to climb” as Silverstone braces itself for Lewis Hamilton fever.
The British Grand Prix weekend has long been a sell-out - tickets went at a record rate - and a staggering 356,000 people are expected to be at the circuit over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A crowd of 142,000 is expected for the race itself and a huge majority will be cheering on Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell.
And after Hamilton managed a podium finish in Montreal a fortnight ago, with Russell a place behind, there has been unusual optimism from his followers and signs that Mercedes are getting back on track after a dismal start to the 2022 season.
Throw in Hamilton’s magnificent record around his home track - he has won EIGHT times at Silverstone - and plenty of supporters are more than hopeful that Hamilton could drive to his first victory of a troubled campaign. The seven-times world champion also has last season’s epic win at the track - following a controversial coming-together with Max Verstappen - relatively fresh in his memory.
On top of that, Wolff has been making encouraging noises but as the Formula One roadshow set up at Silverstone, he was quick to try and lower the growing expectations. “Canada was our fifth podium of the season and we were happy to collect solid points,” said the Mercedes team principal. “But while we can be pleased with the flashes of speed that the W13 showed, there's still a mountain to climb. A lot of work is needed to get to the front.”
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While Mercedes are a massive 112 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, the gap to Ferrari is only 40 and, at fourth in the drivers’ table, Russell is nine points ahead of the Italian team’s Carlos Sainz. But Wolff insists Mercedes are still a pretty distant third in the pecking order even though his team is beginning to fight back. He went on: “We know the top two teams have a considerable advantage. Our challenge is to close that gap.
“Silverstone has been good to us in the past, we have some improvements coming, and it's a smoother track. We're aiming to make another step forward and we have a clearer direction now. We're focused on finding more and more performance as the season progresses.” With McLaren’s Lando Norris another local favourite, it promises to be a thrilling weekend at a packed Silverstone, where the spectators are renowned for their commitment.
“It’s always a highlight of the year,” said Wolff. “The fans are so passionate and knowledgeable. It's also our local event, with Brackley and Brixworth close by. Our team members will be trackside on Friday watching from the stands and seeing the results of their hard work in action, which is incredibly exciting.” Saturday’s qualifying is at 3pm and the race starts at the same time on Sunday.
