Team ‘Stayed United and Stuck Together’: Lewis and George Preview Hungary

George said: “It has been exciting for all of us, and everyone in the team is super motivated.

“There are no guarantees going into the next two races. In Austria and Barcelona, Max [Verstappen] and Lando [Norris] were a good 10 to 20 seconds clear.

“But we are excited for what is to come.”

Lewis added: “What we have shown in the past few races is that with determination, focus and constantly chasing perfection and improvement you can make a difference.

“We are united as a team and we will make sure we finish the season on a high.”

Since Monaco the team have amassed 125 points. In that same four-race span McLaren have scored 111. Red Bull 97. Ferrari 50.

The gap has been well and truly closed. The immense dedication and commitment of our team at the factory has been reflected in the on-track performance.

The progression made with W15 has been clear to see since Montreal, with George providing an insight into how those performance steps have felt from behind the wheel.

He said: “We have a lot more confidence in the car than we used to, we can push it to its limit.

“We can manage the tyres easier on it. We can exploit the car more. It is all about having that confidence beneath us.”

Last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix saw Lewis claim his 104^th F1 pole position and set a record for most poles at a single Grand Prix with nine in Budapest.

Twelve months ago, the race pace of W14 was not strong enough to hold on to that starting position, something Lewis hopes will not be the case this time around.

Lewis said: “We have a much better race car now compared to last year. I do not know how we will be competitive this weekend.

“Hopefully we will be stronger than last year, and it will be close between us, McLaren and Red Bull.”

George added: “The goal is to win as many races as possible. We are no doubt closer than ever, but we just need to see in the next two weeks.

“If we have two good weekends here, we will be fast everywhere.”