Energized Hamilton says he will return Mercedes to the top

A second-placed finish at the US Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday appeared to energize Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes’ seven-time world champion saying that when his team build a more competitive car, he will take it to the top.

With just three races left, he is in danger of finishing a season without a victory for the first time since entering Formula One in 2007, adding to what has been an annus horribilis for the Silver Arrows.

But there was hope, not despair, around the Mercedes garage on Sunday after a battling Hamilton engaged in a breathtaking duel with Red Bull’s two-time champion Max Verstappen over the final laps before surrendering victory to the Dutchman, who clinched his 13th win of the season to equal the F1 record held jointly with Ferrari great Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

“We are much closer now, the upgrade worked and we were racing for a win,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “We understand more now what it is where we got it wrong with the car.

“We thought we can run the car on the deck, but you can’t, so it’s small little hamster steps and, as long as the trajectory is going up, we are on a good path.”

Hamilton has had two other runner-up results this season in France and Hungary, but it was the manner of the fight in Texas that had both him and his team looking ahead to next year.

“What’s happened this year in terms of our performance and everything to get a win would be a huge triumph for us,” said the 37-year-old Briton.

“But what I think of from today we had good pace, I’m still here and I know that when they build the car, I will take it to the top. We just have to keep working.”

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES