Lewis Hamilton sends rival Sebastian Vettel BIG warning ahead of 2018 French Grand Prix
LEWIS HAMILTON says he and Mercedes are confident that they know how to improve as the Formula One title fight continues to hot up on both fronts.
The Brit surrendered his lead of the Drivers’ Championship a fortnight ago with a fifth-placed finish at the Canadian Grand Prix allowing Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to move a single point ahead thanks to his Montreal triumph.
And the Italian constructors are now just 17 points behind the Silver Arrows in the Constructors’ standings too, having claimed one more win across the seven races of the 2018 season so far.
Mercedes were surprisingly off colour in Canada at a circuit where they had previously dominated since the berth of the turbo hybrid engine era.
Yet four-time world champion Hamilton - who ended over 21 seconds down on Vettel having previously never finished lower than third at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve - is confident that he and his engineers have it within them to get back on top as Mercedes look to avoid relinquishing either of ther titles after claiming both in all of the last four seasons.
I know that we can do better and we have solutions of how to do that.
That’s ahead of the French Grand Prix this weekend, a circuit that neither Vettel or Hamilton have ever raced on competitively which offers up some exciting unpredictability in terms of who will be first to Sunday’s chequered flag.
“I don't think there has been any point where we've felt invincible this season," Hamilton said ahead of this weekend’s return to Le Castellet after 28 years away.
"That's not the mindset anyone in this team has ever taken on.
"Losing the lead in the Championship is not something that I have on my mind. Not performing to my true potential, that is the hardest thing.
"When I am not performing at my true potential or when the team is not performing at its true potential, that is important.
"The other things don't even bear any weight at all. When you have worked hard in practice and you then just don't deliver, it's in those periods of time you learn the most.
"We are seven races in, but there's still a long way to go. I know that we can do better, and we have solutions of how to do that.”
The 2018 French Grand Prix weekend gets underway with FP1 (11am) and FP2 (3pm) today.