168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Mercedes wilꩵl win an F1 grand prix this season, it has been predicted, despite the “ceiling” they wi♐ll hit.

The improvement of the struggling team has been eye-opening, with consecutive podium finishes for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell then 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton.

This weekend’s F1 Austrian Grand Pri💜x, before Silverstone a week later, offers more opportunity to clo꧙se the gap to the front.

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

“It was a solid race. They are clearly still behi﷽nd McLaren, a tenth-and-a-🌱half per lap.

“It’s closer than they were at the start of the season. They are oဣn 🌞a journey.

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

“They are much cl🦂o𒉰ser than they were. They’re not quite there 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 foundat𒉰ion.

“Now they’ve got thi💛s front wing. They’ve got confideܫnce 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?

Hoꦐwever, Hill pointed out a poꩵssible future problem.

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

Finishing high﷽er in the constructors’ standings last season means Mercedes 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 think Mer♌cedes had a pretty good execution of a weekend. George could have been third if he’d taken softs, the hards did not loo💛k good at all.

“They have a lot to be happy about.

“Toto is feeling the weight off, ღcharged up by the finish, like ‘we will go and 𒉰get more!’”

Hill added൲: “Until recently, we were thinking Adrian Newey would go to Ferrari, Lewis is going to Ferrari𓂃, 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 prospect🦹.”

But Karun Chandhok warned 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 h🦂is race was compromised in the first stint.”

Will Hamilton be having second-thoughts ab🐼out joining Ferrari in 2025 if Merceꦛdes continue to finish ahead of them?

Chanꦿdhok answered: “Does Lewis regret it? They were three hundredths diffeꦍrent in qualifying and they were there in the race.

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

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

Mercedes have no🗹t won an F1 grand prix since late-2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Russell.

Hamilton has not been victorious since 2021.