World champion says "extracting the maximum" the key to Mercedes ending Ferrari's winning run; Watch the Russian GP live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend, with Sunday's race at 12.10pm
Wednesday 2 October 2019 16:00, UK
Lewis Hamilton is optimistic Mercedes' "maximum" performance over race weekends can help tip the balance back in their favour in what has turned into an absorbing fight with Ferrari.
F1's world champions remain firmly on course for an unprecedented sixth successive title double but are determined to turn around the recent run of race results which has seen a rejuvenated Ferrari claim a hat-trick of successive wins for the first time in 11 years.
Ferrari's three victories since the summer break have ultimately come down to fine margins on race day - the lead Silver Arrow finished within one second of victor Leclerc at Spa and Monza, while Hamilton was right behind the youngster again in Singapore before the race-changing pit stops shuffled the order.
And while aware of the increased challenge, Hamilton says Mercedes just have to focus on themselves and making sure they extract everything out of their W10 package and race-weekend operations.
"Honestly, there's no point in worrying because what will be will be," said Hamilton on Thursday at the Russian GP.
"At the moment I would say these last three races we've probably not extracted 100 per cent on the weekend and that's what we need to get back to. Extracting [the] maximum.
"It might make the smallest difference and it just might mean we're just ahead or just in a better window to get by, who knows, but that's what we're going to start targeting."
Hamilton, who leads team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 65 points and Leclerc by 96 points in the standings, added: "It's been a tough start of the second half [of the season] but it's racing. We've enjoyed it, we've enjoyed the challenge.
"Of course, we love winning and we exist to win, so we're still just massively driven to produce better results. Luckily, we have six races left and six more tries at trying to change the viewpoint and that's just what we'll continue to do. We're by no means giving up, that's not part of our DNA, so we'll just keep pushing."
Who will Sochi suit best?
Mercedes have won all five of F1's Russian GP's since the Sochi Autodrom joined the calendar but Ferrari admit they head into this weekend feeling more confident than they might otherwise have been after their one-two in Singapore.
Despite apparent gains in downforce last weekend, straight-line speed remains Ferrari's 2019 ace card and the Sochi Autodrom features several flat-out sections.
"We come here and we've got nearly a 2km straight and we know how fast they are on the straight and if you look at these last three races and we have been stuck behind and not been able to get by," added the world champion.
"We are conscious of that and we're just trying to figure out…it's not a short-term fix but there are other areas we can do better on which could change the position potentially."
But Hamilton has no doubts that Mercedes remain "the strongest team" in F1 and will return to their best form.
"Remaining the leaders is not an easy task at all, so it's understandable at some stage you're going to have dips, but I still have 100 per cent confidence in my guys. We're still the strongest team and, whilst it's not been spectacular in the last couple of races, it's not like we've been terrible," added the 34-year-old.
"Even if this weekend doesn't go as planned - and there are long, long straights which you could say favour the Ferrari currently - it's not going to change my opinion."
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