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Hamilton: Mercedes can't keep "bluffing" in fight with Ferrari

12:15, 28 Aug 2018

byJake Williams-Smith

Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes can no longer afford to be caught "bluffing" against Ferrari after their title rivals look to have gained the upper hand in the championship fight. Ferrari had been threatening to usurp Mercedes as the best package on the grid, something Hamilton fears may have come to fruition.

The reigning world champion was unable to keep Sebastian Vettel behind him at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, saying Vettel drove by him like "I wasn't there". His championship lead cut down to 17 points now, Hamilton believes that momentum has finally swung in favour of Ferrari at a crucial time in the championship.

"They've had the upper hand on us for some time," he told the media after the Belgian Grand Prix. "The pendulum has swung a little bit.

"I would say the last two races in particular we just did a better job. The cards we were dealt with, we did a better job with them – even though they had a better car.

"We've called their bluff almost. But there's only a certain amount of times you can do that.

"If you keep playing a deck of cards and you're bluffing, there's only a certain amount of times you can do it before the opponent realises you're doing that.

"This next run of races is going to be really telling. The next two or three races will really show if they're going to continue to sustain that high performance."

On the evidence at Spa, Monza should be a Ferrari victory with the Scuderia showing supreme pace and power in the power dependent first and final sectors of the famous circuit, elements that are only exaggerated at the Italian venue.

"There's only a certain amount that I can do, I can't always create miracles," he added. "There's going to be times like today when it doesn't work.

"We can still beat them at races, I just don't know which ones that's going to be in."