Hamilton looks forward to new upgrades: ‘I don’t think it's a failure'

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in Baku, following an eventful race for the seven-time world champion. The Briton started out strong, then was undermined by the Safety Car, and in the end, was unable to overtake Carlos Sainz in the straights. This was the worst finish of the season for him yet, and he is looking forward to the new upgrades.

“I think we did [the best to get out of the car]. There was great preparation before coming here. Plenty of running in the simulator a few days before coming here. Really proud of the team, and everyone back at the factory,” the Mercedes driver told Sky Sports following his P6 finish.

He also had a positive outlook on the race, even though it was a place down from where he started. “The mentality is great. Everyone is focused on progressing and getting to where we know we can get to. It’s just taking some steps. I don’t think there are any mistakes or this is a failure.”

New upgrades to come

Mercedes was one of the only ones not to bring any big upgrades to their car following the spring break. “We knew already from early on that we have a few races until these upgrades. We don’t know exactly how good the upgrades will be but it’s the start of something new,” Hamilton added about what is expected from the team in the future.