(Motorsports news) The seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton qualified third for the United States Grand Prix, capitalizing on his team’s recent upgrades to finish behind Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. While Mercedes downplayed the possibilities of the new floor ahead of the race, insisting it was more about understanding its 2024 car, Hamilton sees things differently.

He does not necessarily believe it is a foreshadowing of the future, but he does believe it has produced a level of improvement not often associated with Mercedes updates. “I don’t know really if it’s a signifier of anything for next year but, as we continue to experiment, we get more and more knowledge of where we’re going, and where we are routing the flow of the car,” Hamilton went on to say.

“The floor isn’t noticeably changed. There is always excitement surrounding someone’s update, but the remainder of the car is identical. And there are numerous places where we may improve. “However, this is an improvement.” This is one of the first upgrades I’ve felt in the last two years. So that’s a plus, and we only need two or three repetitions of this phase to put us in hyper competitive mode, which I believe the boys are capable of.

The adjustments, according to Hamilton, “leveled up the car” in all areas of performance rather than affecting the way it handles overall. And he noted that the progress was a result of the efforts being made at Mercedes’ Brackley factory to produce a faster W14. “I’m really grateful for the improvements that the team have made with the car,” he told reporters.

“Everyone’s worked so hard to bring some upgrades and, for us to be this close to McLaren and Ferrari and even the Red Bulls, I think it’s a showing of just how hard everyone’s worked.” While the changes put him in a terrific position to fight for the win on Sunday, he was unsure how strong he could be. “Too early to say,” Hamilton replied. “None of us have done any long distance running, so I’m not sure.”

“Perhaps the fact that Red Bull isn’t in the top three makes for a better closer battle because they’re often quite a bit ahead and just disappear into the distance. So hopefully, the three of us can have a tight battle.”

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