Former Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton believes there are no expectations from his new Mercedes team for him to be competing for the title in his first year at the German manufacturer.
Hamilton, who won the 2008 F1 championship with McLaren, moved to Mercedes this season, after they only managed 142 points in the Constructors championship last year, finishing way off the pace in fifth.
The move of the former world champion to become his team’s number one driver and his impressive testing form has led to many claiming he’ll contend for the title, but Hamilton played down such suggestions.
“I don’t think there are any expectations, no,” Hamilton said. “If anything, I feel like I have a free ticket. It’s a year where we know we may not have the best package, but it’s a challenge for me.
“And I don’t think that there’s pressure from outside for me to do anything with that challenge. It’s just more for me to enjoy working with the team and improving.
“I think the pressure is more on the other guys, who had great cars and were evolved into this year’s car. They have the pressure to go and compete and perform. For us, we only have everything to gain.”