Lewis Hamilton Doubtful About 2018 Title Challenge, Urges Mercedes To Step Up

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes started the 2018 Formula 1 season as the favorites to win their fifth Drivers’ and Constructors’ championship respectively, but the story has not gone according to script for the reigning champions.

After dominating qualifying at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, an error in strategy during the race handed Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel the win. It was the last time Mercedes was on pole position this season.

Ferrari have since taken three consecutive pole positions and added to their win in Australia by taking the chequered flag at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vettel was leading the race in China and most recently in Azerbaijan, but failed to win despite having the quickest car throughout the weekend.

Mercedes and Hamilton had to wait until the fourth race of the campaign in Baku to pick up their first win of the season and the Briton himself admits that it was undeserved. Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was leading the race with three laps to go and looked set for the win, but a tire puncture handed the race on a platter to the reigning Drivers’ champion.

The 33-year-old moved to the lead of the championship with the win in Baku and is currently four points ahead of Vettel. However, Hamilton is certain that they would not have been in that position had it not been for “two weird races” where things went in their favor despite being outpaced by Ferrari.

The British driver still feels that Vettel is the front runner for the championship and they will not be in contention unless they make rapid improvements for the upcoming races. Hamilton admits that the team and the two drivers have a lot of work to do if they are to begin challenging the Ferrari team in terms of pure performance rather than hoping for incidents in the race to go in their favor.

"I don't currently feel that way,” Hamilton said when asked if the win in Baku will reignite his season, as quoted by Sky Sports. "Obviously being in the lead of the championship is great but if we continue on the trajectory we're on, it would need tricky races like this to keep us in the fight. There's been two weird races where it's kept us in the mix, but you can't rely on those for the next 17 that are left.”

"We need ultimate performance and confidence in the car and I've got the pace within me, and I think the car's got the pace within it, but both of them are not being intertwined in perfect synergy to extract the perfect equation. We've definitely got to improve in lots of areas, and I mean myself as well, and that's what I'm going to work towards,” the four-time champions added.

The F1 juggernaut will travel to Spain for the start of the first European leg of the season with all the teams returning to the venue of the two pre-season tests. Mercedes looked strong at the Circuit de Catalunya during winter testing and they will hope they can get their season back on track.

Ferrari, on the other hand, will hope luck is with them again after losing two races from winning positions in China and Azerbaijan. Vettel, who was not too concerned despite the disappointment in Baku, will hope to get back to winning ways, especially since Ferrari have a car that can now challenge both in qualifying and the race unlike in previous years.