Hamilton Amused by Changing Opinions

Lewis Hamilton has downplayed the rising expectations of Mercedes moving to the forefront in 2013 and becoming true title contenders.

(c) Mercedes AMG F1 Team

The Brit, who topped the penultimate day of testing in Barcelona, has said the speculation is “all over the place” but has cautioned people on expecting wins from the off.

Talking to Sky Sports News he said “first people were talking us down and saying we were going to do terrible and now all of a sudden they’ve changed their opinions,”

He continued “people are all over the place!”

It is fair to say that when the confirmation of Hamilton’s switch to Mercedes broke, most questioned the move. The Brackley based squad promised a lot and failed to deliver in their three seasons competing in F1. One race victory and a handful of podiums so far is something they are looking to change, but Hamilton knows their issues will not be a quick fix.

“I don’t think anyone knows what is going to happen, I think what we have to make people remember is that this team and this car have struggled for the last couple of years and that doesn’t change with a click of the fingers.

“We have to keep working, but we’ve done a good job over the winter, and I’m really proud of the team and grateful to have been part of that journey.”

Since Hamilton’s welcome to the team back in January, he has certainly won over the team with his enthusiasm and work ethic. Ross Brawn enthused about his way of working since joining the team.

“Lewis comes across as a real enthusiast, there’s real spirit and excitement about what he is doing. He’s a real racer – and that’s what I like about him,”

“He’s someone who clearly enjoys his racing, and I think he now has the added dimension of being involved in a project that we want to take forward a long way.

“McLaren are a great team, but Lewis’ contribution to taking McLaren forward was almost exclusively out on the race track. With where we are, there is a lot more Lewis can get involved in and I think he is relishing and enjoying that aspect.

The feeling in the paddock is that Lewis seems a lot more relaxed. His sponsor work load has decreased and he has more time to think about the racing.

Lining up alongside Nico Rosberg, we will really get to see how fast the German is. Hamilton is regarded as one of the “top three” currently in Formula 1, so can he transform Mercedes into a front running team like Schumacher or Alonso have previously done? We will get a clue to this after the race on Sunday.