Lewis Hamilton has stated that Mercedes are still targeting wins and regular podiums this season, despite the massive gulf in points between himself and championship leader Max Verstappen. The seven-time world champion has just eight points to his name in 2024 following an underwhelming start to the campaign.

Hamilton had hoped to spend his 12th and final season as a Mercedes driver fighting consistently at the front of the field, but after the opening two races, the 39-year-old is languishing down in P9 in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

In fact, Mercedes seem to have taken a step back relative to their rivals. After finishing second in the Constructors’ Championship in 2023, the Silver Arrows are currently just two points clear of McLaren in the fight for third while Ferrari demonstrated that they were the second-fastest car in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked whether or not his aims of fighting for the World Championship had changed. “I think we had a really good winter… the three-day test that we had. We’ve made big improvements to this car, so just in terms of generally driving it, it feels like a much, much better car… much more like a race car.

Lewis Hamilton hopes to challenge Max Verstappen this season (Image: Getty)