Hamilton: Mercedes can't keep "bluffing" Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes cannot keep "bluffing" against Ferrari in the 2018 Formula 1 title fight and believes upcoming races will be "really telling" in his battle with Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton holds a 17-point lead over Vettel after the German's victory in last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, as Ferrari enjoyed superior performance at a race both manufacturers brought engine upgrades.
Hamilton said Ferrari's performance is definitely a concern because he and Mercedes are only ahead because they capitalised on Vettel "misfortune" before the summer break.
"They've had the upper hand on us for some time," said Hamilton. "The pendulum has swung a little bit.
"I would say the last two races in particular we just did a better job. The cards we were dealt with, we did a better job with them – even though they had a better car.
"We've called their bluff almost. But there's only a certain amount of times you can do that.
"If you keep playing a deck of cards and you're bluffing, there's only a certain amount of times you can do it before the opponent realises you're doing that."
Hamilton said defeat in Belgium would have been "more painful" if he had not had a healthy points margin to absorb some of the impact of Vettel's victory.
"This next run of races is going to be really telling," he added. "The next two or three races will really show if they're going to continue to sustain that high performance."
Hamilton said Ferrari's power "is obviously a lot better than it was last year and they sailed past us at the start" and he "couldn't match" Vettel's pace at Spa.
He believes Mercedes should be stronger in Italy because Ferrari's advantage is in acceleration, which gives it good performance in traction zones and contributes to a higher straightline speed, and the first chicane is the only such place at Monza.
However, if the Ferrari remains the car to beat, Hamilton says he will not gain extra motivation from fighting a rival with a better package, and needs to accepts that he will be limited in some races.
"There's only a certain amount that I can do, I can't always create miracles," he said. "There's going to be times like today when it doesn't work.
"We can still beat them at races, I just don't know which ones that's going to be in."
Rain has given Hamilton a major boost over the last three events, enabling him to make a difference while stopping Ferrari making the most of its strong form at the same time.
A mid-race shower in Germany allowed Hamilton steal an unlikely victory there, while Saturday downpours in Hungary and Belgium gave him the chance to claim pole when Ferrari looked the favourite each time.
Hamilton said: "The rain creates opportunity, but we can't just rely on that. We've got to improve our performance so we can maximise on days in dry conditions."

Previous article
Belgian GP: Best of team radio
Next article
The outrageous halo debate that must end now

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Hamilton: Mercedes can't keep "bluffing" Ferrari
Trending
Scuderia Ferrari Filming Day Backstage Footage
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.