Mercedes has experienced a real boom in Formula 1 over the last four race weekends. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton scored 125 points together in Canada, Spain, Austria and Great Britain – despite Russell’s failure. This puts Mercedes in the lead when it comes to collecting World Championship points over the last four race weekends compared to the other teams. It’s worth noting that during this period the Silver Arrows were able to score 29 points more than during the first eight weekends of the season. Expectations ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix are accordingly high.
Will the winning streak continue? Hamilton senses lead
“If someone had told us at the start of the year that we would be fighting for a third consecutive win in Hungary, we wouldn’t have believed it. We have led the last four races since the upgrades. This is an incredible turnaround for us and everyone is super motivated,” said Russell enthusiastically on Thursday before the Grand Prix weekend.
However, no one at Mercedes is certain that the wave of success will continue. Russell is sounding out the team’s possible situation: “There are no guarantees for the next two race weekends. I think that in the last four races we have undoubtedly had the fastest car in qualifying in two cases and the fastest car in the race in two cases. Nevertheless, in Austria and Barcelona we were a good 10 to 20 seconds behind Max and Lando. So we will have to wait and see where we are this weekend.”
Hamilton is similarly cautiously optimistic about the upcoming weekend: “We have a much better racing car than last year. It is still very close between us and McLaren and Red Bull. We may still have a slight lead. But I think we’ll find out tomorrow.”
First hat trick, then world title? Mercedes has a different goal
In Budapest, Mercedes could score its third victory in a row, making it the team with the second most wins this season behind Red Bull. Is that reason enough to raise the faint hope of getting back into the fight for the World Championship? Not if Russell is to be believed, who believes the championship has already progressed too far: “Max is way ahead and Lando is in a pretty solid second place.”
“But I think the goal for us for the rest of the year is just to try and win as many more races as possible. We are undoubtedly closer than ever,” said Russell encouragingly. The next two race weekends in Hungary and Belgium are crucial, said the 2018 Formula 2 champion. “I think if we have two good race weekends here, we will be fast everywhere and we will be there all season long.”
In contrast, Hamilton does not see the Hungaroring alone as a barometer for Mercedes’ performance. “I think every weekend was the ultimate test of our team’s poor performance,” the Formula 1 record holder clarifies. He thinks it is possible that Red Bull or McLaren will be in the lead again or still be in the lead this weekend.
Hamilton reveals: This is the secret of Mercedes’ success
But what is the secret of Mercedes’ success that has allowed it to join the current elite of the premier class? Hamilton puts it down to the team’s special mentality: “We definitely don’t want to outdo ourselves. That is the key to our approach. But also: ‘Screw it, the game is on!’ We fight and we hunt, and we will try to win as many races as possible.”
“What we have shown in the last few races is that with determination, focus, perseverance and the pursuit of perfection, we can win the race,” emphasises the Silver Arrow driver, who is leaving his long-time Formula 1 home for Ferrari for the 2025 season. The team’s efforts are now bearing fruit. “We are united as a team and will try to finish the season on a high level. If we can move the team up in the Constructors’ Championship, if we are not too far behind the drivers ahead of us, then that would be great.”
“I think the biggest lesson is that we stick together as a team,” Russell agrees with his Mercedes colleague. The good team spirit is said to have helped to bring the former series world champions back to the front after two and a half years of crisis. “There have been no major changes in the organization of Mercedes and you have to To Toto’s credit, he believes in his people and just gives them the chance to do what they do best. I think that’s what sets this team apart from many others.”
With his brilliant move to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton was already the stumbling block in the driver domino for 2025 before the season even started. At the halfway point of the season, the transfer carousel is still spinning vigorously and there is no sign of a standstill in sight. In this video, we give you an update on the latest movements: