Mercedes confirm British GP upgrades but remain cautious over chances

Mercedes has announced it will be bringing some “new bits” for the British Grand Prix in the hope of continuing its recent upturn in form.

The Brackley-based outfit is upbeat about the progress it has made over the past races after a strong showing last time out in Canada.

Lewis Hamilton claimed his second podium finish of the season in Montreal, while team-mate George Russell continued his run of top-five finishes in 2022 by coming home in P4.

In the hope of building momentum after its difficult start to the year, Mercedes is planning to introduce a development package for the next race at Silverstone.

The smooth nature of the circuit is something Mercedes believes could play into its hands, but technical director Mike Elliott is trying to keep the team’s expectations in check.

Speaking in Mercedes’ regular post-race debrief about its chances for the British Grand Prix, Elliott said: “One thing you can be sure of is we will push as hard as we can.

“We will be bringing new bits to Silverstone, we will be trying to push the car forward, trying to get some pace from the car we’ve got or from the package we’ve got as well as the new bits we are going to add to it.

“I think at the same time though we have to be honest with ourselves and say that, at the moment, we are just a little bit behind those front runners in Ferrari and Red Bull. And in a normal race I think it is going to be tough.”

Mercedes believes it has now got on top of the porpoising issue that was hurting its early-season form, although its low downforce set-up to get the most out of the W13 has proved a problem at bumpier tracks such as Baku.

But while Elliott is clear the team has its sights set on being back in a position to fight for wins, he felt the