Hamilton remains certain Mercedes can win: 'I feel really confident'

Despite a strong performance last weekend in Austria, which saw Mercedes win their first race since 2022, Hamilton revealed he was not expecting the team to be on the front row this weekend for his home race. The Brit first of all thanked the crowd, who had spent the day in miserable conditions supporting the team: "Well first off, a big, big thanks to this incredible crowd. We're so proud to be here." The seven-time world champion then toldDavid Coulthard after qualifying how much the team's performance meant to him after driving in front of his home crowd: "We're so proud to be here. Three Brits on the front row, in the top three, is incredible. And a huge congratulations to George, he did such a great job. We definitely didn't expect to be front row this weekend but this is huge for us, for our team, the car felt fantastic out there and so everyone in the garage here, all our team that have come here really deserve this."

Can Mercedes secure another win?

Mercedes had looked strong in the morning, with Russell topping the time sheet in FP3. In the afternoon, Saturday's qualifying was a challenge for the drivers, who faced wet conditions at the start, alongside a red flag from Sergio Perez. Nevertheless, Mercedes were able to overcome the challenge. "I think the car felt great it was just about getting the tyre temperatures at the right place and sealing the deal when you needed you had the time on the track so I think I was able to do that, I think ultimately there was still time left on the table which George was able to find," the Brit said. Ahead of tomorrow, Hamilton remains confident in the team's abilities, and hopes the team can convert their positions into a win: "I feel really confident about the car tomorrow. And I think with the conditions we have, we can work together to keep Lando behind," he concluded.