Lewis Hamilton makes Canada Grand Prix vow: I'm here to WIN

Hamilton, Mercedes, Canada, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Canadian Grand Prix

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Hamilton makes Canada GP vow: I'm here to WIN

Hamilton has won in Montreal seven times, joint-most alongside Michael Schumacher

Jack Walker

Saturday 17 June 2023 08:57

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Lewis Hamilton has thrown down the gauntlet to his team ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix by saying he is 'here to win'.

Mercedes have battled – and often struggled – to make the second row so far this season, but the Brit is demanding more.

Things have not gone their way since the dramatic ending to the titanic world title battle in 2021, and the Black Arrows are not expecting miracles in Montreal this weekend.

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But Hamilton says this is not good enough and, coming to a circuit he holds the joint-most wins at, wants to fight for victory.

Hungry for more

In the week where talk of Max Verstappen potentially breaking his wins record in the years to come, Hamilton has said he intends on driving – and winning – in F1 for quite some time yet.

On the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Ted Kravitz revealed a chat with the seven-time winner in Montreal.

On Mercedes not expecting to do as well in Canada, Kravitz said: “I put it to Lewis Hamilton when he said more or less the same thing [as earlier in the season], that this was a bit of a downer that his engineers are trying to be clever, clever to say, ‘Well, all the simulations say we're not going to be very good here. The best we can hope for is fourth’ or whatever.

“Do you have to go and bang your fist on the table and say, ‘Look, come on, we're here to win’?”

Hamilton, in a roundabout way, said, “Yes, I'm the hype man. We are here to win and that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to win this weekend.”

“At a circuit where he's had so much success, he really has the keys to victory around here,” Kravitz continued. “Seven wins, of course, equal with Michael Schumacher around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.”

Looking up the grid not down it

With Aston Martin and Alpine expected to have improved performance from upgrades brought to the track, the word in the paddock is that Mercedes’ realistic aim is fourth at best this weekend.

But given he is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings, Hamilton will be determined to beat the odds and mix it with the Red Bulls and challenge for what would be the 194th podium of his record-breaking career.

And if the rain falls as is forecast, the possibility of win number 104 could become that little bit bigger.