© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill says, although “the betting odds are apparently quite long”, it’s “highly likely Mercedes could get in the mix”.
Although Mercedes has been struggling with their performance in the first two race of the 2022 season, Damon Hill thinks it’s too soon to dismiss the team’s title chances.
“There’s always a chance with a team like Mercedes,” Hill said on Sky Sports F1.
“They’ve got something wrong, and the hope is if they find a fix for that they will get a big gain in performance.
“Another question is when you look at their car it does have a slightly different design philosophy aerodynamically on the bodywork at the back.
“The hope is they haven’t made a mistake in a fundamental design area. The data says the car should be good, [but] they just can’t tap into it because of this porpoising that’s been created by an aerodynamic instability that makes the car bounce and that is hampering their performance.
“They’ve resurfaced Melbourne completely, it has a very smooth surface. Apparently, it’s more abrasive but it has less bumps, and less bumps are good so it might be they can show what they’ve got.”
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As for Lewis Hamilton’s chances, Hill believes his eighth title in 2022 is still possible.
“Yep, I don’t see why not. He’s a long shot. The betting odds are apparently quite long so it might be worth a tipple on Lewis.
“As I’ve said before, this is going to be a long, old battle. We will not remember the first few races of this season by the time we get to halfway through. It’s going to be a slog – 23 grands prix.
“And if you’ve got a battle going on at the front and you haven’t got a dominant team then it’s unlikely they will get that far ahead. So it’s highly likely Mercedes could get in the mix.
“And don’t forget George Russell is in there as well, he’s doing a fine job, and may even take points off the other guys as well,” the Briton concluded.
