Hamilton delighted: 'Landed in the Netherlands in a much sweeter spot'

Mercedes are feeling much more optimistic in the Netherlands compared to last weekend in Belgium. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both confirmed that the Mercedes car was feeling much better in Zandvoort.

Certainly, on single lap pace, the Mercedes car couldn't keep up with the front runners. But in FP1 on Friday, Russell and Hamilton topped the session with a one-two and they weren't far off the pace in FP2 either. Speaking after the session, Hamilton was delighted with the feeling he had inside the cockpit.

"This is a lot better than my Sunday and Friday even last week. It's a decent start to the weekend, landed in a much sweeter spot with the car. We're not that far behind which is great to see. We have to keep pushing," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

During the season, Mercedes have struggled in qualifying though George Russell managed to get pole position in Hungary. Russell hints that he feels McLaren and Aston Martin will be in the mix to beat them on Saturday, but believes the race will come to Mercedes' advantage.

"Better than Spa! That's for sure. The car is working better. No doubt about it. McLaren are looking quick, and even Aston Martin. Qualifying is our weak point and the race will come towards us. It was tricky out there because the timing screen wasn't working," Russell added.