Hamilton admits he could "only dream" of 24 point championship lead

After the conclusion of the tripleheader, it looked increasingly likely that Vettel and Ferrari were going to take a hefty championship lead into the summer break. But it is Mercedes that are in front, and Hamilton admits he is very surprised.

A bit of luck with the weather has helped the British driver, but Vettel and Ferrari's mistakes can take a fair chunk of the blame. Vettel crashed out in Germany while in Hungary, a slow pit-stop meant that he got caught behind Bottas.

Hamilton was delighted about his championship lead and admitted it wasn't what he was expecting.

"I really could have only dreamed that we would be in the position that we are in right now, considering all factors and based on our pure performance," Hamilton told crash.

"I'm really happy, going into the break, particularly with back-to-back wins. I think that boost will last a long time for our team and it’s encouraging for everyone so I’m excited for the break."

Despite tracks like Spa and Monza where the Ferrari's power advantage will be highlighted, Hamilton remains confident about the second half of the season.

“The Second half usually gets a bit better on our side so we will go and prepare and make sure we come back even stronger.”