Lewis Hamilton left Monaco in a positive mood despite a tough qualifying session and failing to get on the podium after the redesigned W14 showed flashes of pace.
Almost failing to escape from Q2 at one point, Hamilton fought back to start in P5 and finish the race in P4, securing crucial points for Mercedes in their battle against Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Standings.
“I’m really happy – we’ve moved forwards,” Hamilton said.
“Coming into this weekend, I didn’t know where we would stand so to take fourth and fifth is good points for the team – a huge thank you to everyone at the factory for the upgrades on our car.”
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“We kept it in one piece, we brought it home. We beat the Ferraris and we really got some great points as a team.
“And now we go to Barcelona which is the best circuit for us. It was difficult to know here – the car felt stiff, there are a lot of bumps and it’s tricky, but I noticed one particular part of the car that was better, but I don’t know how that will be next week.
“I’m pretty sure it will be a much better package.”
The improvement at Mercedes couldn’t have come sooner for the team, as they work behind the scenes to convince Hamilton to remain at the team after the end of this season.
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Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of 2023, with the Brit reportedly having been approached by Ferrari, as the Italian team looks to build a dominant partnership to rival Red Bull.
Hamilton and his teammate George Russell find themselves sat in fourth and fifth in the Drivers’ title race, behind the impressive Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
The Silver Arrows, as a team, are in a stronger position, now just one point behind Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Standings, although both teams are far behind title-leaders Red Bull.