Mercedes will ‘show what we’re capable of’ – Hamilton

2014 Australian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton is in confident mood ahead of the first race of 2014 and believes his Mercedes team are ready for the new season.

“I think we’re as ready as we can be for Melbourne and I’m more fired up than ever,” said Hamilton.

“With all the changes within the sport and the hard work that’s been going on within the team, I believe this can be our year to really show what we’re capable of.

“That’s not to take anything away from our opposition, who will be incredibly tough to beat as always, but I feel like I’m equipped with the tools I need to succeed. I can’t wait to get started.”

Mercedes have been tipped as pre-season favourites after covering the most mileage in pre-season testing with their W05. However Mercedes-Benz Motorsport head Toto Wolff is guarded over the team’s chances, saying they are “not quite where we want to be right now in terms of a complete package”.

“The new regulations have been a massive challenge for everybody involved, and the team has been pushing flat out to get the car to where it is now as we approach the first race in Melbourne,” said Wolff.

“While it is true that the quickest car with the quickest drivers will win, reliability will be a key factor. We want to bring both cars to the flag in the best possible position. We now face the ultimate reality check in the first race of this new era for Formula One.”

However he added: “The feeling within the team is not one of nerves”.

“It is more a sense of relief to finally be unleashing our cars in race conditions. Everybody now just wants to get out there and see where we stand. Expectations are high, both internally and externally.”

2014 Australian Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
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    32 comments on “Mercedes will ‘show what we’re capable of’ – Hamilton”

    1. Very bold and daring statement

      1. I feel you after five yrs been 4-5th one can stop believing he has what it takes, I see drivers much more hungrier out there !

    2. I find it hard to picture anyone but Mercedes winning the championship this season. It would be a catastrophe if they didn’t.

      1. It would be a catastrophe if they didn’t.

        @kingshark No, it wouldn`t. Pre-season testing and actual race weekends are two vastly different things, and even if the expectation are high now, everybody knows that, in reality, we have little clue which each stand right now. At the end of the day, all they have had until now it’s a car that doesn’t break during pre testing. Sure, it’s far more than what other teams have, but hardly enough to call a catastrophe if they doesn’t win.

        1. I was basing my judgement from all the hype surrounding Mercedes this season. There’s been hype around Mercedes ever since the new regulations were introduced. This is make or break time for them.

          1. @kingshark

            I was basing my judgement from all the hype surrounding Mercedes this season.

            I noticed, that’s exactly why I said it would ‘t be a catastrophe. Hype and reality are two vastly different things, something teams at the level of F1 are more than aware of.

            Especially hype as empty as this one, based on pre testing alone. Just because there’s (over?)hype it doesn’t mean much at this point.

        2. We probably don’t know more than we usually do, but the attention on pre season testing is the highest I’ve evr seen. I think Merc has a target on their back, deserved or not.

        3. absolutely correct.

      2. I would say don’t count your chickens until your eggs hatch but we don’t even have eggs yet. They will win some races but the championship is still way too far off to crown a winner.

      3. I think one thing you really need to bear in mind is the double points.

        I fully expect Red Bull to be on pace with any front-runner by the end of the season, and you’d be a fool to rule Seb out of winning that final race, if that were the case.

    3. The prospect I find exciting about this season is the battle between Mercedes’ two drivers. Even moreso than Ferrari’s, because the W05 seems a likelier candidate for a WDC. If either win the championship, it’ll be a big deal – Rosberg because he’s ever truly been held in the same regard as VET/HAM/ALO/RAI – somewhat an underdog out of the top drivers; Hamilton because, like Alonso, it’s been long time since his last – not mention it would truly vindicate the decision to move to Mercedes that split so many opinions. A huge year for both.

      1. +1.

        Couldn’t agree more.

    4. I like Lewis a lot more since he left Team Robot. Hopefully he finds some success this season, it’s nice to see some personality from the paddock sometimes.

      The championship is anyones at this point, it’s way way way to early to nominate the team to beat, but Merc, Williams and Ferrari are looking good.

      1. I like Lewis a lot more since he left Team Robot.

        Only to now drive for a guy who talks like a Terminator.

        On a more serious note, I’m a bit tired of people talking about drivers being faceless and all of that. Maybe more so do to a fact that all of you who are complaining, sound all the same, using same words, same expressions, repeating over and over words that sound more like some well-learned party line, than a genuine personal attitude.
        And then you go and complain about a lack of personality in F1.
        Just my impression. Nothing aimed at you personally, since your comment is just one of many that are exactly the same as yours.

        1. OK OBE, when a large body of people comment on the same subject and reach the same conclusion that is called concensus, whilst you may prefer to be critical of the concensus for your own reasons, others, including the majority, have the right to voice their opinion also.

    5. Hamilton is my pick for the Driver’s Championship this season. That isn’t to take away anything from Nico Rosberg, who is a fine driver and I hope will give Hamilton a close challenge throughout the season.

      I think Hamilton will be Champion this year based on the fact that Mercedes look to have the most reliable and also the quickest car in the paddock. A pretty unbeatable combination with all the regulation changes. They appear to be incredibly confident, and I think it’s not without merit. Red Bull are in disaster mode, and Ferrari are a bit of an unknown but my gut tells me they won’t be able to beat the Mercedes.
      I think he’ll beat Nico Rosberg as Hamilton is an excellent driver who’s been in championship battles before. Nico hasn’t been exposed to those unique pressures yet. Hamilton also has the confidence of over twenty race wins and a championship. I think because of his experience, psychologically he could be the stronger in a straight championship fight against Nico. It’s not much but it could be enough. Coupled with the fact that I can’t see Nico regularly beating Hamilton on a Saturday and that’s another crucial advantage for Lewis.

      1. Actually HAM qualifying got desmistify for me by Rosberg great performance last yr.
        Hamilton got a bit more points however ROS gave him some sitting behind him on team orders more than once. ROS had more DNF by car issues but won more races than HAM.

        “The more consistent race performances over the final seven races came from the German, who won the teammate battle 5-2, including podiums in India and Abu Dhabi.

        Therefore, even though Hamilton edged the points battle in 2013, it could be argued that Rosberg was the more rounded and consistent driver overall. It certainly gives food for thought for 2014.”

        1. “Actually HAM qualifying got desmistify for me by Rosberg great performance last yr.”

          Hamilton outqualified Rosberg in a car and team that Hamilton was completly new to that Rosberg spent 3 years in. Thats not good enough, right?

          “however ROS gave him some sitting behind him on team orders more than once.”

          No, it was once, and it was a difference of a massive 3 points.

          “ROS had more DNF by car issues but won more races than HAM.”

          Rosberg was BEHIND Hamilton everytime he had a DNF. Plus, Hamilton was leading Rosberg when Hamilton had that tyre blow out, you know, the race Rosberg won when 2 quicker drivers got taken out infront of him?

    6. This is the year Lewis was mainly looking to when he left mclaren, and i feel he`s gonna go and grab that WDC no. 2.

    7. I don’t know but in my opinion Mercedes should have bluffed in the pre season testing even if they were very confident about their car, anything can happen in the first race in Melbourne, wet weather, safety car…. now the expectations are high and anything but a 1,2 for Mercedes is a disaster, there are also some doubts about the fuel efficiency which will be a crucial factor in Melbourne.
      Yesterday i was dreaming about the first race maybe because i’m so exited about the new season, Roseberg and Hamilton locked the front but they collided in the first lap and Ferrari made it 1,2 (i don’t know who won), i’m pretty confident that it was my wish because i was never realistic when it comes to Ferrari

      1. Haha, I love your honest, genuine optimism and enthusiasm, even if it’s a bit unrealistic, but I hope so to I guess. :)
        Makes me even more impatient, waiting for Melbourne. :)

      2. Expectations for the team in 2014 were high as early as the start of 2013. Even when they had that amazing one-lap qualifying pace at the beginning of the year, they were saying the true work was in 2014.

        It’s not from pre-season that the expections were set high: Mercedes themselves are banking on 2014 to be their year. We shall see…

      3. @tifoso1989 I don’t think teams have time or the luxury to bluff anymore now that testing is so limited. And I don’t see what bluffing would do anyway. So what if the team is confident, or if many fans think that they should be the team to beat based on what they have seen so far. Anybody who thinks anything but a 1,2 for Mercedes in Melbourne is a disaster needs to learn a lot more about F1. I think most people that do know something about F1 know that especially after major changes we will only know who stands where once they get racing, and that it is an ever changing effort. To stand still in F1 is to go backwards, so no matter what happens after the first race, there’s always the next race.

        I think if I would categorize anything as a disaster, aside from the obvious things like a death, it would be if the team that appears to be the team to beat…let’s say it’s Mercedes or Williams…let’s RBR not only catch up to them but surpass them in performance by the last third of the season, which it seems right now is what it will take for RBR to win the Championship this year. Just getting to the point of eventually matching them (Merc, Williams, Ferrari, whoever) will not be enough assuming they’ll be lucky to even finish the first race.

    8. All good , but I just can’t stop thinking that redbull are just bluffing. I know,I know, I know and I like Hamilton

      1. I’m not so sure they’re ‘bluffing’. You’d never deliberately stop your car out on circuit as much as they have, especially given this season’s rule changes.

        I don’t think there’s any denying that the car has speed, though.

        It’s just a case of how much is Newey going to have to compromise the car design to work around these issues?

        1. Let’s not forget they likely have very little data on the current tires and I’m sure they’ve barely had a chance to learn how to optimize this car from a setup standpoint. They’ll be winging it and needing Friday practice and I’m sure are extremely hopeful that they can get some laps in to try to start to get a handle on setups and how various options treat the tires on this car. Pace and reliability are concerns, but others already have so much more knowledge about their cars’ idiosyncrasies and how different setups affect the tires.

      2. @dj-xo2

        I just can’t stop thinking that redbull are just bluffing

        I´m with you on that one! I can´t help to think this is just a prelude or build up of how SV had to fight a terrible start of the season to become a 5 time wdc equaling him with Fangio and Michael… and finally earn “respect” from everybody…. It all sounds so scripted but hey… lately people have been comparing F1 to WWF so you and I might just have nailed it!

        I truly hope I´m wrong though… The thought of what I just wrote makes me nauseous!

    9. With the helped they had, not finishing 1st is just the worst result ever…

      1. … with the help they had??

    10. How the worm has turned. It wasn’t so long ago that the vast majority of racing fans though Lewis Hamilton made a grievous mistake leaving McLaren. Seems he knew exactly what he was doing. Mercedes is set up very nicely for this season, and forward looking into the future as well. But I can’t help but think in all this talk of Lewis and Mercedes, these articles never mention Rosberg. Rosberg will be formidable this season as well, and Lewis will have his hands full with his teammate.

    11. I feel like I’m equipped with the tools I need to succeed.
      I can’t wait to get started

      We haven’t had that feeling in quite a while Lewis.

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