Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin has revealed that Lewis Hamilton's British Grand Prix victory that ended his 946-day winless streak has been a "huge boost" for the team.
Shovlin conceded it would have been "upsetting" for Mercedes to have not won another race with the seven-time F1 champion, who before last weekend had not been victorious since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and ahead of his Ferrari to Ferrari next season.
Not only has Hamilton's win on home soil allowed Mercedes to again celebrate a grand prix victory with the 39-year-old, but it has also reinstalled belief in the Brackley-based outfit.
"It was a massively important result," said Shovlin. "We said at the start of this year we were determined to go out on a high with Lewis.
"He's been such a huge part of the team's history. So to have not got some more wins with him would have been upsetting, but just brilliant to see him up there.
"Yes, it's a huge boost to the mood around here and everyone's motivation because it's been so hard work and because it was such a tough start to the year."
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Mercedes targeting further success
After a difficult first two years following the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations in 2022, Mercedes has experienced a significant confidence boost.
Thanks to finally providing a consistent and competitive package, the German manufacturer is gaining momentum following George Russell's win in Austria and then starting the British GP on pole before Hamilton's 104th career victory.
Crucially, Shovlin feels the recent British GP result has raised the spirits of Hamilton, in particular.
"I think for Lewis' own confidence and mood in the car, you can see that he's really enjoying it now," added Shovlin.
"So that was great to see. Hopefully there are more wins to come this season though. We're not happy with two. We want to go after more. So we're still working hard.
"We've got performance to come, trying to bring that to the car as quickly as we can. It won't be easy, but we will be pushing all the way."
Also interesting:
In the latest podcast, Ian, Sam and Nick discuss the British GP and Hamilton's emotional return to winning ways. Hamilton's journey since 2021 is discussed, as is Lando Norris' BIGGEST hurdle and Sergio Perez entering the Red Bull danger zone!
Rather watch than listen to the podcast? Click here.
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