Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari faces a major challenge at the upcoming Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion is secretly hoping for unpredictable weather at Silverstone to help mask the shortcomings of his car's performance. His comments come as he looks ahead to his home race, where he has won an incredible nine times in his career.
Despite Hamilton scoring his first victory for the Italian team earlier this season in Barcelona, Ferrari still struggles with energy management at the rear of the SF-26’s power unit. On fast circuits with long straights, the scarlet machine falls short compared to rivals like Mercedes and perhaps even Red Bull Racing.
Hamilton, currently sitting third in the championship behind Kimi Antonelli and George Russell after a disappointing fifth place finish in Austria last Sunday, is managing expectations ahead of the sprint weekend.
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Ferrari pain on straights
When asked about his chances of competing at the front on his home track, Hamilton acknowledged the steep challenge. "It won't be easy with all these long straights," he told the media at the Red Bull Ring.
"I usually perform well on this circuit, so... fingers crossed." He pointed to Ferrari's specific weakness at the end of these high-speed sections. "Our energy management is falling behind the others, and I expect it will be tough."
Praying to the weather Gods
One of the key development issues for the car remains the shortcomings of its hybrid drive. With a short sprint race already scheduled for Saturday, the driver is counting on a little help from the heavens this weekend.
Although the forecast for Sunday predicts a warm, dry race day with temperatures reaching 28°C, Hamilton isn’t ruling out classic British weather. "I hope it rains," the Ferrari driver joked.
"It’s summer, but you never know what might happen." He even quipped about even more extreme weather shaking up the field: "In England, it could even snow!"
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