Lewis Hamilton has described how his return to a Formula 1 podium during last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix provided him with a reminder that the fire is “still there”.
Hamilton’s season prior to Barcelona could be characterised as encouraging indications through practice dissipating come the moments when it had mattered most.
However, the Briton capitalised on Mercedes’ recent progress in the previous round to convert third on the grid into his first top-three finish since Mexico last October.
With his 198th podium ensuring he has appeared on the podium in all 18 seasons of his career, Hamilton strives to maintain that momentum this weekend in Austria.
Asked whether the feeling when racing is as strong as it was in his debut season, Hamilton replied: “I think so, yeah. Yeah, I mean, it feels good to have races like that.
“Sometimes you don’t get to have a race like that where you get to get your elbows out and have some really fun and challenging overtakes.
“But that was a really good, fun one for me. Barcelona always puts up a good race. And it’s been a strong one for me for many years.
“And, you know, we all need good days like that in our lives just to remind us that it’s still there.
“So the fire is definitely there. We just need to continue to supply it and keep it blazing.”
Hamilton has admitted the Mercedes camp now has a spring in its step since acquiring consecutive podiums, but he has warned that the team can’t get carried away.
“I think, probably just the whole team is, not necessarily on a high, but there’s a great energy within the team,” Hamilton said.
“Knowing that we finally have the direction that we need to be working towards, so the energy back at the factory, particularly, is, you know, people in the factory definitely have a spring in their step, and for me, for sure, it feels good to be back in a competitive position. Just want to work on continuing it. Don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, that’s for sure.”
The Briton has also cautioned that the W15’s capricious traits mean Mercedes could encounter hurdles with the Sprint format granting the teams one hour’s practice.
“Our car has generally not been quick out of the box, it’s something we always have to tune and work on,” Hamilton explained.
“But Montreal it was quick out of the box, maybe it was a one-off, who knows? We’ll see tomorrow. But I like the Sprint weekends, it doesn’t give you a lot of time to adjust.”
