168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Mercedes will win an꧟ F1 grand prix this seasoꩵn, it has been predicted, despite the “ceiling” they will hit.

The improvement of the struggling team has been eye-opening, with consecutive podium finishes for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell then 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton.

This weekend’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix, before Silverstone a week la𒅌ter, offers more opportunity to close the gap to the front.

“Another third and fourth following Canada⛎,” Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok said after𝕴 the F1 Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.

“It was a solid race. They are clearly still behind McLaren🔥, a tenth-and-a-half per lap.

“It’s closer than they were at the start💞 of the season. They🌠 are on a journey.

“I’ll be interested if - we’ve got two more races coming thick and fast - if they can optimise the set-u🏅p to unlock more speed.

“They are much closer than they were. They’re not quite ther🐲e with Lando and Max.”

Damon Hill assessed Mercedes’ improvement: “It’s like their feet haven’t touched the ground. They have had nothing to🐼 grab onto, no foundation.

“N✅ow they’ve got this front wing. They’ve got conꦰfidence again in what they’re doing.

“‘If that is right, we can do this❀, this and this…♚’

“They are definitely encroaching.”

Wind tunnel time to limit Mercedes?

However, Hill p💛oin💃ted out a possible future problem.

“Don’t forget they finished second in the constructors’ last year so they’ve got a ceiling that they’ll hit earlier than McLaren,” 🎐he said🐼.

Finishing higher in the constructors’ sta🌜ndings last season means Mercedes𒆙 will receive less wind tunnel time this year than rivals McLaren and Ferrari.

However, optimism surrounds Toto Wolff’s team.

“The tides are shifting,” Danica Patrick said.

“I th𒆙ink Mercedes had a pretty good execution of a weekend. George could have been third if he’d taken softs, the hards did not look good at all.

“They have a lot to be happy about.

“Toto is feeling the weight off, charged up by the fiඣnish, like ‘we will go and get more♍!’”

Hill added: “Until recently, we were thinking Ad🍨rian Newey would go to Ferrari, Lewis is going to Ferrari, and Ferrari were on the up.

“Suddenly this doubt has been thrown in about Adrian going to Ferrari. It doesn’t look such an appealing pro🐈spect.”

But Karun Chandhok war🎉ned that Ferrari will not let Mercedes consistently outperform them without a battle.

“Let’s keep perspective,” Chandhok said♌. “Leclerc, with another lap, would have passed George. He wasn’t far behind Lewis and his race was compromised in the first stint.”

Will Hamilton be having second-thoughts about joining Ferrari in 2025 ifꦉ𓄧 Mercedes continue to finish ahead of them?

Chandhok answered: “Does Le༒wis regret it? They were three hundredths different in qualifying and they were there in the race.

“I think Mercedes can win a race this year.”

Hill insisted: “[Hamilton] thinks ‘game 𒅌on’ again. He can rub wheels with Lando and Max.”

Merc🐼edes have not won an F1 gဣrand prix since late-2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Russell.

Hamilton has not been victorious since 2021.