Lewis Hamilton has launched into the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with a positive attitude after he was close to his rivals in the opening practice sessions.
In FP1, Hamilton finished less than a second off P1, closing the gap to just 0.49 seconds in Free Practice 2.
Mercedes have been struggling during the 2023 season, finding themselves far off the pace of the title-leaders Red Bull, as their aerodynamic performance hampered their progress.
Heading into Monaco with a different approach, moving away from their ‘Zero Sidepod’ design, Mercedes seems to have fixed some of the issues that have held them back in the new era of regulations.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton had brutally sent a message to his engineers by stating that he was “counting down the days” until the upgrades were implemented.
Unfortunately, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cancelled, Hamilton had to wait a little while longer to see how the changes have tackled their challenges.
“I’ve generally had an amazing day, I really enjoyed driving today. I want to say a big thank you to everyone back at the factory, because to build and design and develop a car is not an easy thing,” Hamilton said after FP2.
“And everyone’s put so much time and so many hours of hard work to have us here today, so I’m glad that we were able to keep it on track for them.
“And I think we got a lot of data. I mean, it’s not the place to ultimately test and upgrade, but the car was generally feeling good.
READ: James Vowles hit with penalty as Max Verstappen receives praise
“I think, ultimately, it’s a shame we weren’t as close as I’d hoped at the end of the session, but definitely felt the improvements.
“Just gotta keep chipping away at it and see if we can squeeze any more juice out the car.”
Hamilton will be hoping that a combination of the upgraded car and his experience in Monaco will ensure he can fight near the front of the grid.