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".
Amid his team's difficulties, Hamilton has been cautious about building up too much optimism all year. But now it is clear the seven-time world champion is more confident that he has a car that can deliver the performance he needs to be a threat at the front of the pack.
He is yet to taste victory at a race this season but, as he gears up for his 300th career Grand Prix, Hamilton believes that will change between now and the end of the season. "It doesn't faze me because I'm getting towards that win," said the Brit in the pre-weekend press conference in France.
"I do believe we'll be able to compete with these guys, whether it be now or five races. I think about the journey, we've got consistency and we've continued to push – no-one in our team has given up. It's been a really valuable lesson learned for all of us and experience.
"We've sharpened our tools in other areas so when we do get back to where we deserve to be, we'll appreciate it that much more. Every weekend we're hoping to improve for sure.
"I don't know what to expect this weekend. We're constantly making changes to the car, aero-surfaces and everything. I'm hoping we discover something to move forward. In general, it's been a decent race for us."
Hamilton's 300th Grand Prix weekend will be shorter than most, as he sits out the first practice session thanks to a new F1 rule. Mercedes are obliged to give a chance to a younger driver twice per season, and so reserve Nyck de Vries will be given the chance to shine during FP1 on Friday.
