“The experience of a year ago has helped me strengthen”, said Hamilton, who joined forces with his team-mate Valtteri Bottas to unveil their new Mercedes at Silverstone on Thursday.
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With a new vehicle beneath him and his biggest rival in retirement, Lewis Hamilton is ready to get back on the track.
Mercedes revealed its newest, shiniest Silver Arrow at Silverstone today, letting drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton take it out on track. Bottas has not won a race in his Formula One career to date and goes up against arguably the most naturally-talented driver of the current generation in Hamilton, yet the Finn remains quietly confident.
‘I don’t know all the reasons that Nico made a decision to stop, but I can really understand the feeling of wanting to retire and do something different.
“Yes, obviously (Lewis Hamilton’s engine failure in Sepang 2016) was a big blow, and it was a blow to his campaign, and we still feel the pain everywhere”. The season starts in Melbourne on March 26.
“The first step would be to see what the fans feel they’re lacking, what they feel they would want more of”, Hamilton said. I am going to drive the vehicle in less than an hour, it feels real and I am amazed how good the auto is looking. The new vehicle was launched at the team’s Silverstone facility, broadcast over live 360-degree video on Facebook as well as on YouTube and the team’s site. It really does. I think the cars look so much better than they have in the past.
Running beside Lewis Hamilton in 2017 will be Valtteri Bottas, formerly of the Williams team.
“I don’t think I have ever missed a team-mate in my life because there is always one that takes his place”, added Hamilton.
“One day I will leave and another driver will come along”.
This, girls and boys, is the vehicle that will win the 2017 Formula 1 world championship.
“The dominant feeling in the team right now is one of excitement – the factory is buzzing with anticipation”, said team boss Toto Wolff.
Unlike the four other 2017 models unveiled so far, the W08 only features a small shark fin on the run down to the rear wing assembly.
‘It is already odd, being down in the garage and having someone other than Nico next to me, ‘ said Hamilton.
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“It is a big learning curve for me, and we still haven’t done a single lap together in the same auto, so it is only guessing how we will compare – but we will find out soon”. We’re looking forward to seeing how the changes impact the racing when the season kicks off.
