Lewis Hamilton appeared confident about his chances of competing for the race win at the French Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes have been well off the pace of their Red Bull and Ferrari rivals all year after mistakes made in the design of their W13 car. As a result, they have yet to make a serious challenge for victory at any of the 11 races so far in 2022.
But that might chance in France, with some pundits fancying the Silver Arrows given their recent improvements. Ex-Renault racer Jolyon Palmer believes Hamilton and George Russell are "dark horses", while Red Bull chief Christian Horner expressed his belief that Mercedes are "there or thereabouts".