Hamilton fell far back in Barcelona after a touché with Kevin Magnussen, suggested the team end the race, but eventually finished fifth after a nice catch up. A water leak at the end of the race meant that he lost fourth place to Carlos Sainz.
,,I was thirty seconds behind number eighteen and I thought it was impossible to get into the points. So I thought it would be better to save the engine. I’m glad we didn’t stop. It shows that you should never give up,” said Hamilton. “It’s a bit like the past. A race like that feels like a win, maybe even better. The car feels a lot better now. It’s a nice signal that we’re on the right track. Without those problems I think I could have competed with the Red Bulls. That gives me hope that we can also fight for victories with this car.”
Mercedes does not yet seem as competitive as Red Bull and Ferrari. Even during qualifying, the difference was still significant, although it is clear that the eight-time constructors champion has made progress.
