28 June 2023 , 08:33
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Lewis Hamilton's hopes of finally landing an F1 win this weekend have been boosted by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
At 38, the seven-time world champion has arguably endured the most difficult 18 months of his distinguished career, failing to win a single Grand Prix in 2022 as the Silver Arrows struggled to adapt to F1's new era. In eight races so far this year, his barren run has continued, despite three podium finishes.
He last took the chequered flag on December 5, 2021, in Saudi Arabia. That was followed by the infamous Adu Dhabi race a week later, where the British icon was set to take the win - and the Championship - before the controversial safety car saga that ultimately gifted the honours to Max Verstappen.
But there have been signs as promise. Toto Wolff's team remain lightyears off front runners Red Bull in terms of pace, but have introduced new upgrades to their W14 cars in the past two months, with Hamilton third last time out in Canada.
That followed taking second place in Spain, and now Wolff has vowed the team will be stronger again at the imminent Austrian Grand Prix: "The W14 should be better here than in Canada," said the 51-year-old.
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"There were plenty of positives to take from the last race in Canada. Although we didn't get both cars to the chequered flag, a podium was a solid result and we saw encouraging signs from our updated package. Austria is always a special weekend, as it's my home race.
Toto Wolff has offered hope to Lewis Hamilton (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Lewis Hamilton win an F1 race this season? Comment below.
"We will aim to build on the momentum we have generated over the past two races and continue our positive trajectory with the car. It's a venue where the W14 should perform better than in Canada, but we won't take anything for granted. As always, we will be working hard to maximise our performance and deliver strong results."
Any hopes Hamilton, and Mercedes, have of overhauling Verstappen and Red Bull in the standings are now almost certainly on hold until 2024. Verstappen is already 69 points clear in the title race, with teammate Sergio Perez second.
The constructors' race is also essentially over. Christian Horner's side are a massive 154 points ahead of the Silver Arrows, with Verstappen (six) and Perez (two) having won all eight race events between them this year.