Championship leader Lewis Hamilton hopes Mercedes’ first major aerodynamics upgrade of the season will “frighten” the team’s rivals.
A week after introducing its upgraded engine in France, Mercedes will run updated sidepods, bargeboards, and rear wings at the Austrian Grand Prix, as it aims to pull away from Red Bull and Ferrari.
Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas will get their first opportunity to see the effects of the upgrades in tomorrow’s free practice sessions, but the Brit is hopeful they will give the team the edge it needs.
“Up until now, we’ve not really had a lot of development parts on the car, so it’s great to see,” he said.
“I’m aware that the guys have been working increasingly harder to try and make sure that we bring quality rather than quantity.
“So it’s great to see some new bits here this weekend, and I’m excited to try them on track.
“It will undoubtedly help us in our battle to frighten the other guys.”
Hamilton added he’s excited to get his first experience of the updated car this weekend, but warns qualifying could still be tight.
“Everyone’s got some sort of upgrades. I anticipate it being probably one of the closest qualifying sessions that we’ve had this season.”
Bottas was also cautious, noting that the upgraded engine didn’t drastically increase Mercedes’ advantage in France.
“On paper, it’s a decent upgrade, which is very much needed, like any small gain this year, so [I’m looking forward to trying it out.
“Last weekend with the new engine it was positive but, even with the engine, between us and Ferrari the margins are very small.
“I don’t feel like we really have the upper hand like we had in past years, so any small gains are important.”
