Lewis Hamilton has put trials and tribulations behind him and is raring to make his first British Grand Prix appearance for Mercedes this weekend in a car he says is better than last year’s McLaren.
With McLaren yet to finish higher than fifth this season, after winning seven races in 2012, the 2008 Formula One champion has no regrets about the move to Mercedes that many were still questioning only months ago.
He heads for Silverstone as one of four British drivers but the one with the best chance of victory, Mercedes already being a winner in Monaco thanks to Germany’s Nico Rosberg and being on pole four times in seven races.
“I feel like I have a better car this year so I think we should be more competitive than we were last year,” he said
“It is definitely closer (to being able to win) than what I have had for a couple of years, so I am looking forward to seeing what the car can do. I think the car will go really well here.”
Two clouds that hung over Hamilton at the last race in Canada have lifted. One was personal and the other was an international tribunal that could have imposed heavy sanctions on his team for a “secret” tyre test with Pirelli.