SAKHIR, Bahrain — Lewis Hamilton doubts he will be in the running for victories at the opening rounds of the new Formula One season after struggling for performance during preseason testing.
His Mercedes team, which has won the last eight constructors’ championships, has not looked competitive during this week’s three-day test in Bahrain, while rivals Ferrari and Red Bull have shown promising pace.
Testing lap times can often be misleading when trying to understand the true competitive picture, but Hamilton insists Mercedes’ struggle is real.
“I’m sure everyone can figure it out, we’re not the quickest at the moment,” he said during a press conference on Saturday. “Ferrari looks to be the quickest and perhaps Red Bull, and then maybe us or McLaren.
“I don’t know, but we’re certainly not at the top.”
When asked if he was concerned that the lack of performance would limit his ability to…
