21/07/2022
NEWS STORY
Damon Hill believes that Lewis Hamilton will win this weekend's French Grand Prix, as the Mercedes driver makes his 300th Grand Prix start.
While Pitpass believed that Mercedes ongoing revival would see the seven-time champion claim victory at his home race at Silverstone, it was not to be, the Briton instead having to settle for third and fastest lap.
However, world champion turned TV pundit, 1996 world champion, Damon Hill believes that it is this weekend, in France, when Hamilton makes his 300th Grand Prix start, that the Mercedes driver will return to the top step of the podium.
"I'm going to go for Lewis Hamilton," predicts Hill in the F1 Nation podcast. "I think there's going to be an incident.
"We've been talking about how well they have been getting on," he adds, referring to title protagonists, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. "I think that first corner is a bit tricky, the little chicane thing. Let's say Charles loses his front wing or Max gets a puncture or something like that. Or maybe even on pure pace the Mercedes springs a surprise.
"I think in their race trim, Lewis has been on occasion, very, very quick," insists Hill. "It could even be Lewis first, George second and Carlos Sainz third."
Ten-time Grand Prix winner, isn't so sure.
"I wouldn't go that far," argues the Austrian. "The Mercedes hasn't worked really well anywhere this year.
"It could be maybe a bit better, but I don't think it will go so much in this direction that they suddenly will play a role to win the race."
However, the former Ferrari, McLaren and Benetton driver admits that Paul Ricard may well suit the W13.
"Paul Ricard has always been a little bit different. It's very smooth," he admits. "It's a very different style of circuit. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mercedes works a bit better there, it's very flat.
"But in general, it will be again a fight between Red Bull and Ferrari," he concludes.
Check out our Thursday gallery from Le Castellet here.