Mercedes have many more upgrades in the pipeline

LONDON : Mercedes have many more upgrades to come as they seek to close in on Formula One leaders Red Bull and Ferrari, strategy boss James Vowles said on Wednesday.

The defending world champions brought new parts to last weekend's French Grand Prix and Vowles said they were 'incremental'.

"They are small steps that were added to the car but the important point is that we have plans to introduce far, far more across the races that follow," he said in a debrief conducted by the team.

"We are not going to be able in one go just to catch up and be with Ferrari and Red Bull.

"But hopefully as you have seen across the season so far, we are incrementally closing that gap down and we have more to come."

Seven times world champion Lewis Hamiltonne finished second to Red Bull's Maxe Verstappen in France, after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed out, with Mercedes team mate George Russell third.

The team have been notably more competitive in races than in Saturday qualifying.

Mercedes are third overall, 126 points adrift of leaders Red Bull and 44 behind Ferrari, in the constructors' standings. The 13th race of the season is in Hungary this weekend.