Hamilton On Top In Austria Despite Protest Over His Mercedes

Spielberg, Austria, July 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2020 ) :Lewis Hamilton began his quest for a record-equalling seventh world title by topping the times Friday as Formula One roared back with a full day's practice and an official technical protest of his Mercedes car at the belated season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

Three months after the cancelled traditional curtain-raiser in Australia, and six months on from the last race, it was business as usual from the dominant newly-repainted 'black arrows' Mercedes men with Valtteri Bottas completing a familiar one-two as the sport re-ignited after its longest off-season.

"It's great to be back," said Hamilton, who is seeking to draw level with seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in the record books.

"It's been a long time coming, so it feels great to feel the new car for the first time since February.

"It's quite a big difference to the one we got to test at Silverstone and I don't remember what I was like in February, to be honest.

It was so long ago." Hamilton said he would take his initial supremacy over his competitors "with a pinch of salt" after a performance that appeared to send a message to his rivals and a power boost to the Black Lives Matter movement that he and his team have embraced and supported.

"What's positive is the car felt good today," he said.

"It definitely feels like in general, compared to last year, we have continued to improve it and that is a positive."Speaking before rivals Red Bull protested officially at Mercedes' innovative new steering system, he added that it was difficult to say if he had an edge over his rivals after just one day.

"That's difficult to say -- it's definitely looking good, but you can never take too much from practice and, if you look at some of the other teams, they were maybe down on power modes or up on power modes or fuel or whatever it may be.