Lewis Hamilton is hopeful that Mercedes can build on their strong run of form into the second half of the season, though the seven-time world champion has played down the possibility of a championship challenge being on the cards.

After a slow start to the campaign, the Silver Arrows have seen a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes as 2024 has progressed. The squad have picked up more wins than any other team since Round 8 in Monaco, with Hamilton taking two victories while George Russell has one to his name.

Hamilton himself has also collected some eye-catching statistics, having equalled Max Verstappen as the driver to claim the most wins since Monte Carlo (both having won twice) which included an emotional and long-awaited return to the top step at Silverstone.

The Briton also shares the accolade of scoring the most podiums over the last seven rounds with the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, after standing on the rostrum on four occasions.

Hamilton’s latest top-three finish came at the closing race before the summer break in Belgium, where he initially crossed the line in second before being promoted to P1 after Russell was disqualified when his car was found to be underweight.

2024 British Grand Prix: Emotional scenes in parc ferme as Hamilton celebrates a record ninth Silverstone win

Speaking after the event, Hamilton – who currently sits P6 in the drivers’ standings on 150 points – was asked if his impressive run across the last few races had left him feeling that he could potentially fight for the championship.

“No. It would be high hopes,” the 39-year-old responded. “But, I mean, if we can continue this kind of performance as we’ve had the last few races, which has been fantastic… I think if we can start our weekends off a little bit better, hopefully we can continue.

“I think, obviously, the McLaren was very strong [in Belgium], we were just a bit further ahead early on [in the race], but yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”

The final 10 races of 2024 will mark Hamilton’s last as a Mercedes driver before his impending switch to Ferrari next season. For Russell, however, the team’s recent signs of promise have made him optimistic about their chances of a consistent title push in 2025.

Pushed on whether the second half of the campaign would be about putting the building blocks in place to prepare for a championship bid next year, Russell answered: “Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

“I think for all of us, it’s been a difficult couple of years getting the car into a place where we can consistently fight for victories. But I’m so motivated, so excited for the second half of the season, which is ultimately building up towards 2025.

“And when you look at the competition now, there’s no reason why we can’t fight. If the season started in Montreal, the championship standings would be looking very, very different, so, it’s going to be great.

“I think there’s so much motivation from all the other teams to get back to the front, from McLaren, from Ferrari, from ourselves. So for sure, it’s not going to be easy, and hopefully we see a good fight on our hands into next year.”