Miami F1 News: Lewis Hamilton "Excited" Over Upcoming Mercedes Upgrades

Hamilton is "counting down the days".

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion and one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1, had a tough time during the recent Miami Grand Prix. In what can only be described as a disappointing weekend for the Briton, Hamilton was eliminated in qualifying as early as Q2, experiencing his worst qualifying in the United States of his whole career. In the race, he managed to fight his way through 7 places to P6, but it was far from his best performance.

Eliminated in Q2 and eventually finishing qualifying 13th, the weekend didn't get much better for Hamilton during the race. He was stuck in a 'DRS train' behind Alexander Albon for a long time, unable to pass due to the high drag of the W14. 

For the next race in Imola, they have planned upgrades that they hope will bring about change.

In Australia, Mercedes seemed to be the second fastest team behind the mighty Red Bulls, but things took a turn in Baku and Miami, where their form took a turn. Hamilton is hopeful that the upgrades in Imola will make a difference.

"I've been counting down the days [to the upgrades]. I find out this week what we’re expecitng, what kind of trajectory they put us on, but I’m really hoping we take the step forward.

"I think others will bring upgrades as well, so It’ll be really intesting to see where we are with the lay of the land. But I’m excited."

Looking Ahead to Imola

Despite the disappointment in Miami, Hamilton and the Mercedes team are looking ahead to the next race in Imola. The team has planned a new sidepod design and front suspension which should act as a new baseline as they rid themselves of the zero-pod concept.

Don't expect a huge improvement in performance, but the team will at least be ready to improve on what they're bringing to Italy.