Lewis Hamilton says he and Mercedes still feel the “buzz” as the new W11 hits the track on Friday.
The six-time world champion gave teammate Valtteri Bottas the honour of turning the first laps in the new Silver Arrow at Silverstone before stepping in for his run as part of the filming day/shakedown.
And even without pressing the throttle, Hamilton revealed the new Mercedes had one advantage over last year’s car at this point.
“I fit in my seat which is a start!” he smiled. “Last year I didn’t really fit in my seat so I had to make lots of modifications, so this is a good step.”
Also Read:
- Hamilton cautious over his chances for F1 title No.7 in 2020
- Verstappen: No reason for Hamilton to stop while Mercedes dominate F1
- Mercedes: Previous success means nothing ahead of a ‘two-year championship’
Hamilton himself isn’t a fan of long testing days but with huge expectations heading into 2020, as the Briton looks to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula 1 titles, he admits the first few outings are still rewarding.
“At this time of the year you don’t really feel any of the pressure and it’s just about having some fun,” he claimed. “Not having some fun. You’re focused but it’s really about enjoying the moment.
“The guys have worked so hard to put the car together. There’s only two of us that get to drive it so it’s pretty incredible.
“These guys have been working for months and months to build the car that we see in that garage today, to make sure that it’s delivered for this day and that it’s running smoothly.
“Now, me and Valtteri get to go and stretch its wings a little bit.”
This year will see the added factor of Hamilton needing to decide his future at Mercedes with his contract expiring, but Friday offered just another example to the 35-year-old of why a renewal is now expected.
“This is my eighth year with the team and the buzz is always the same,” he said. “They couldn’t be more excited, they couldn’t be more enthusiastic or driven.
“I would say that’s probably the most impressive thing. We’ve had the success and it could be quite easy for them to be relaxed today.”