Hamilton determined: 'It's going to be hard work to keep this up'

In just over a week the heated title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will continue at Spa-Francorchamps. With a meagre eight point lead, defending champion Hamilton foresees a tough battle ahead for his team, and can only hope that Mercedes can maintain their top form before the summer break.

"I really hope so," is Hamilton's response opposite Motorsport-Total, when asked if Mercedes will be able to maintain its recovered momentum in the second half of the season. "But it's going to be hard work."

"We've made a really good step forward," continued the Briton.""From Monaco it got very intense and the update worked well. We worked on our processes on the weekends and tried to get more out of the car. I think we're much closer now."

Behind this upturn, Hamilton sees the team's determination as key. He explains: "We learn from our mistakes. Unfortunately, because we would wish they didn't happen in the first place, but it's not about how you fall, it's about how you get up again."