Lewis Hamilton doesn’t believe Mercedes are under pressure to compete for the title this season, considering their form last year, but instead it’s on their rivals.
Hamilton’s team-mate Nico Rosberg rounded off Barcelona testing with the quickest time by some distance, which has led to some rivals believing Mercedes are on the front-running pace.
He has however downplayed the speed recently and insists they are under no pressure to chase the title because they were so far behind Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari in 2012.
“I don’t think there are any expectations, no,” said the 2008 champion. “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.”
