Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mercedes followed up a big Canadian Grand Prix with another strong week in Barcelona complete with some dazzling overtakes
Here is a fun trivia question for you.
Over the past two Formula 1 race weekends, what team has secured the most points?
If you guessed Mercedes then congratulations, you have been paying attention.
The Silver Arrows enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough in Montreal, as George Russell’s third-place finish marked the first podium in a Grand Prix for Mercedes this season. They followed that result with arguably an even better one this past weekend in Barcelona, as Lewis Hamilton qualified third for the Spanish Grand Prix and followed that with his first Grand Prix podium of the year, a third-place finish on Sunday. With Russell finishing just behind him in fourth, Mercedes banked 27 points in Barcelona, a week after notching 28 points in Montreal.
Are the Silver Arrows back?
Maybe not yet, but they are certainly closing the gap to the teams at the front of the grid.
“It’s been a really great weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the podium so I’m very happy! We’re not quite there yet but we’ve taken a huge step in recent races,” hailed Hamilton in the team’s post-race report. “We didn’t quite have the pace to fight with the two guys ahead of us but, if we can deliver more consistently like this, then we will be in a strong position. We are on our way to catching those guys and that is fantastic.”
Russell may have pulled off the move of the race with this stunning double overtake of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen heading into the first turn of the Grand Prix:
He reflected on that move after the race, with a bit of a history lesson.
I was dreaming of making a move like I did into turn one last night,” described Russell. “I didn’t think it would quite come to fruition in the way that it did! I remember Fernando [Alonso] making a similar start in 2013. We had a headwind so I knew I could brake quite late. It was a very satisfying move and felt good to lead a race again. Unfortunately, Max (Verstappen) was too fast for us today, as was Lando. But two podiums in two races is very encouraging as we head to Austria.”
Russell’s overtake might have been the move of the race, but Hamilton’s battle — and pass — of Carlos Sainz Jr. is also worth highlighting:
Like Russell, Hamilton took a moment to recall that battle and overtake.
“I was pleased with my move on Sainz too. I gave him enough room and we both made it through the corner,” recalled Hamilton. “It was an important move for my race, so I was glad to get it done. It’s now on to Austria and we’re looking forward to it.”
Their boss also took a moment to praise those moves, as well as the progress the team has made these past few weeks.
“We can take a lot of positives away from today. We have taken several steps forward in the previous few races and it is good to see these confirmed here in Spain,” began Toto Wolff. “We are not quite there yet, and we have to more to do to catch those ahead. Nevertheless, we are on a positive development trajectory, and it feels good to be back in the game.
“It was also fantastic to pull off two of the best overtakes I’ve seen in a long time. George made a mega start and braked late to take the lead. Lewis’s overtake on Sainz meanwhile was great racing and an important moment for his race,” continued the Silver Arrows boss. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to enjoy a Grand Prix podium with Lewis, so it was fantastic to see him up there. We’re now looking forward to the next two races in the triple-header and building on the momentum we are establishing.”
Mercedes will now try and continue that momentum on short order, as the grid heads to Red Bull Ring for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. It will get started quickly, as this is one of the F1 Sprint Race weekends on the calendar.
