Lewis Hamilton makes 'pleasant' surprise admission despite Mercedes 2022 struggles

Lewis Hamilton has surprisingly suggested racing is "a thousand times more enjoyable" this season than when he dominated the sport. The Mercedes star claimed it was 'much more fun' than starting out on top and dominating a race

He explained: "A thousand times nicer. I remember when I started, my first kart was an old kart. Everything was twisted and out of shape and we always had to start from the back with old tires and c is what I always liked to do.

"So to start having these battles is a lot more fun than starting for example and walking away. It's a different challenge, but I much prefer fighting with people. Hamilton won six titles between 2014 and 2020 as Mercedes went through a period of sport control.

However, the Briton has had to work harder over the past two years with his intense battle with Max Verstappen on the wire last season.

Mercedes then struggled this season, with the team not having the absolute pace of Red Bull. However, they closed the gap to Ferrari, with Hamilton and George Russell now consistently finishing ahead of Scuderia.

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Hamilton has scored six podiums this season and came close to winning the Dutch Grand Prix with an alternate strategy. Meanwhile, Russell has notched up seven top-three finishes, including a surprise pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

After Monza, Mercedes revealed they have set a new target for Hamilton and Russell for the end of the season.

They urged the team to beat Ferrari in both championships as the Scuderia continue to falter. The German manufacturer is only 35 points behind the Prancing Horse in the constructors' championship while Russell is only 16 points behind Charles Leclerc.

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Andrew Shovlin, Director of Ground Engineering, said: "We hope to perform better in the closing races. The battle with Ferrari for second place gives us a good target to aim for in the final part of the season. , so we will use the next two weeks to prepare because it will be a difficult end with six races in eight weeks. ”

Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott has also claimed that Mercedes are aiming for second place in the championship. However, he said Mercedes' main goal was to make sure they are back at the front line next year.

He added: "But above all we want to get back on track in order to fight properly for a championship next year. It's not disrespecting our opposition, we have fantastic opposition, but that's what we really need to do because we want to be back there."