Lewis Hamilton U-turn as F1 fans change their mind on Brit ahead of Canadian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton secured a superb podium finish last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix.
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Lewis Hamilton has changed the mindset of F1 fans after Mercedes' resurgence at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Silver Arrows’ bounced back in Barcelona as the team secured their first double podium of the season.
They also eclipsed Aston Martin who had taken the spot as the sport’s second-quickest team over the opening stages of the campaign. A new poll from Express Sport says 60 per cent of readers now back Hamilton to beat Fernando Alonso in the standings.
It comes just weeks after supporters refused to believe the seven-time champion would get the better of his former title rival. Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, a staggering 65 per cent of respondents felt George Russell would surpass Hamilton in the points tally.
A staggering 86 per cent of voters also backed Russell to join Alonso in finishing ahead of the 38-year-old Mercedes star. Hamilton now lies 12 points behind the Spaniard in the Drivers’ Championship after seven races in 2023.
At the time of the previous poll, Hamilton was a 19 points adrift of his ex-McLaren team-mate. However, an excellent outing in Spain has brought Hamilton right back into the mix for the runners-up spot.
His second-placed finish as Alonso languished in P7 dramatically closed the gap while Sergio Perez’s lowly P4 enabled the Mercedes duo to close up. The German marque introduced radical upgrades for the Monaco Grand Prix but it took until Spain to truly show their potential.
The changes introduced a series of aerodynamic tweaks including a new floor and radical side pod design.
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After the race in Barcelona, Hamilton confirmed the team was surprised at their pace but made it clear good results could follow in the next couple of events.
He explained: “I am so happy after today. I didn’t expect us to come here this weekend and finish second. I was able to keep everything under control today.
“We are learning more and more about the car. I am hoping that the car continues to be like it was this weekend. I am hoping from here onwards we are in a good place. For sure, there will be some circuits where the car isn’t quite in the right window but hopefully the next few races should suit us."