Mercedes has shown 'fortitude' in F1 recovery - Hill

Damon Hill believes Mercedes has displayed 'fortitude' by returning to the sharp end of F1.

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365 at the F1 Exhibition in London, the 1996 drivers' champion cautioned the team and car is "still not there entirely" but that it has "found something" of late.

After winning just one grand prix in the first two years of the current F1 regulations, the Brackley squad has won three of the past four and appears to have a car capable of competing for victory on a consistent basis.

When F1 re-introduced ground effects at the start of 2022, Mercedes found itself adrift of pace-setters Red Bull and Ferrari.

It was able to claw back and dispatch of the latter over the proceeding two seasons, but the former remained illusive. 

Come the start of 2024, Mercedes had also fallen behind McLaren, having to settle for the fourth-best car over the opening rounds. 

However, through continuous, smaller development packages, the team has thrust itself back into contention, and now looks set to fight for wins over the final 10 rounds of the year.

"They've found something, haven't they," Hill mused when asked about Mercedes' resurgence.

"They've unlocked something, which has always been a theory that they thought something was missing, and they've found it, whatever it is and put themselves back in the frame.

The nexus of the issue for Mercedes was its failed 'zeropod' concept, which the team had to abandon mid-way through 2023.

Whilst the results have been considered poor, that is relative. Throughout 2022 and last season, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were able to pick up consistent podium finishes.

Now, however, the pair look well-positioned to allow the former to leave the team on a high and the latter to prepare for a potential championship challenge in 2025.

Although, Hill is quick to point out that despite the "fortitude" shown, there is still some way to go.

"It's still not there entirely, but they've shown their fortitude by finally getting cars that come good, particularly in races. They've surprised a lot of people," the former Brabham, Williams, Arrows and Jordan driver said.