Rejuvenated Mercedes tipped as a major threat when F1 season resumes

Mercedes’ confidence has been restored after winning three races before the summer break, their rivals have been warned.

George Russell’s win in Austria, Lewis Hamilton’s first win in three years at Silverstone then another last weekend at Spa means Mercedes have won three of the past four grands prix.

Red Bull’s previously-dominant Max Verstappen has not won in four rounds, worryingly for the championship leader.

Russell initially crossed the line first for a Mercedes 1-2 at the Belgian Grand Prix before an unfortunate disqualification gave the victory to teammate Hamilton.

“They had a difficult Friday,” Stoffel Vandoorne, the Aston Martin reserve driver, commented on the F1 Nation podcast.

“Look at Lewis’ season, he often has a difficult Friday because he’s a driver who likes to play with the car’s tools and its set up.

“He gets an understanding of how the systems work then, come Sunday, his mind is in the zone.

“He knows the car available to him and he deals with that. We’ve seen him much stronger on race day than his qualifying performance, although they are still very good.

“He’s an incredible racer with a good feel for the tyres. So did George, managing them perfectly and crossing the line first.

“The result came as a surprise to Mercedes.”

Tom Kristensen, the nine-time Le Mans winner, added: “There is confidence in the team again. For two years, they almost crawled out of the paddock.

“This was a 1-2, I know it doesn’t count. They were racing for a 1-2. Austria was different, there was contact between Max and Lando which created opportunity.

“At Silverstone Lewis took it but if Lando did a better strategy, maybe Lewis wouldn’t have won.

“But [at Spa]? They won. They qualified in the wet. They did all the things they could, in terms of strategy.”

Russell’s third F1 victory might have gone up in smoke when the FIA discovered his car was beneath the weight limit, but he is emerging into the leader that Mercedes will require when Hamilton leaves for Ferrari next year.

“George is a guy who won all the junior series, so he’s obviously talented,” Vandoorne said.

“He had a couple of years at Williams where he showed incredible qualifying pace.

“Already back then, Mercedes could see how fast he was, what pure speed he had. But also how good he was at managing tyres.

“He has it naturally, to manage the tyres well.

“He came to Mercedes where the pressure is a whole different level. He’s stepping in next to Hamilton, the driver who broke all the records.

“He has held up well, qualified well. He had rough patches - the crash in Singapore - but he is maturing. He is delivering week-in week-out.”

Kristensen said about Hamilton’s performance in Belgium: “There is no doubt he did well. He would have liked to have done the race differently.

“He was disappointed on the podium. Now he’s the grand prix winner. The circumstances matter for a driver.”