F1: Lewis Hamilton Says Mercedes ‘Moved Forwards’ with Car Upgrades

Lewis Hamilton said he was “really happy” with the Mercedes upgrades package that improved his car and helped him finish fourth ahead of team-mate George Russell in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.

“I’m really happy – we’ve moved forwards,” said the seven-time world champion.

“Coming into this weekend, I didn’t know where we would stand so to take fourth and fifth is good points for the team – a huge thank you to everyone at the factory for the upgrades on our car.”

Referring to the conditions in a challenging race in changing conditions, he added: “We kept it in one piece, we brought it home. We beat the Ferraris and we really got some great points as a team.

“And now we go to Barcelona which is the best circuit for us. It was difficult to know here – the car felt stiff, there are a lot of bumps and it’s tricky, but I noticed one particular part of the car that was better, but I don’t know how that will be next week.

“I’m pretty sure it will be a much better package.”

Explaining his radio comments about the dangerous conditions during the race, he said the car felt very twitchy.

“The tyres weren’t working so it was like racing on ice. Then after a time, the tyres started to work and it as fine, but I was so close to going off and crashing, having a big shunt. It was crazy.”

Hamilton and Russell are fourth and fifth in the drivers’ championship behind the Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen, who won Sunday’s race, and Sergio Perez, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who was second in Monaco.

Defending Drivers’ champion Verstappen made a clean getaway when the race began to maintain his pole position advantage over Alonso into the first corner on the street circuit.

But as the race developed and the planned one-and-only stops approached, a rain shower hit the track to turn the encounter on its head, causing a flurry of off-track excursions, brushes with the barriers and pit lane activity.

Alonso pitted while only a portion of the track was damp and initially took on mediums, but intensifying rainfall meant he was forced back in for intermediates, which the rest of the field clambered for as well.

Verstappen then survived a contact with the wall before pitting, got back into a rhythm in the mixed conditions and controlled proceedings to the chequered flag.

(With inputs from Agencies)