<p>Lewis Hamilton downplayed his chances of winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this coming weekend on Thursday, stating that his recent improvement in form and pace had not “dazzled” him.</p>
<p>The seven-time world champion said he was focused on making sure Mercedes finished second behind Red Bull in the constructors’ title and then building a vehicle to rival the dominant leads the next year while speaking at a track where he had won three times.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-265447″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-who-is-the-crypto-mogul-sam-bankman-fried-found-guilty-of-a-10-billion-fraud-downl.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com who is the crypto mogul sam bankman fried found guilty of a 10 billion fraud downl” width=”1241″ height=”695″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-who-is-the-crypto-mogul-sam-bankman-fried-found-guilty-of-a-10-billion-fraud-downl.jpg 300w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/theindiaprint.com-who-is-the-crypto-mogul-sam-bankman-fried-found-guilty-of-a-10-billion-fraud-downl-150×84.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 1241px) 100vw, 1241px” title=”Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is cautious yet confident ahead of the Sao Paolo Grand Prix in Brazil 3″></p>
<p>Upon being asked whether he might win the race on Sunday, he said, “I really don’t know,” after his excellent finish of second behind winner Max Verstappen in Texas (where he was disqualified due to a vehicle inspection) and Mexico.</p>
<p>“People write me after the previous few races and say, ‘Ah, it’s looking nice.’ However, we began the year 1.5 seconds down, and it looked good at the end of last year as well!</p>
<p>“I’m not impressed with where we are at this moment. I’m content and proud. The excellent job that has been done in the background is the sole reason I was at the podium.</p>
<p>“At the moment, I’m more focused on the long term than the short term. My goal is to secure the second position in the constructors’ standings, as it holds great significance for all team members. However, I believe Red Bull will dominate the standings, as their car has been performing exceptionally well.”</p>
<p>If that’s not the case, however, I’ll be prepared to confront them head-on. It would be amazing if it could be even somewhat similar to Austin and we could improve the plan.</p>
<p>Hamilton moved up from sixth on the grid to second in Mexico.</p>
<p>“I came away empty-handed last season,” he said, as he goes for his first victory in seven hundred days on Sunday. This year, I don’t intend to do that.</p>
<p>Hamilton’s chances of finishing second behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship battle would also be improved with a great performance.</p>
<p>Hamilton is only 20 points behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull with three races left.</p>
<p>Verstappen has said unequivocally that he does not intend to help Perez on Sunday, claiming the Mexican is capable of helping himself without team directives.</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t matter in the end,” he said.</p>
<p>“I have faith in Sergio to maintain his lead. We have, on average, had the quickest vehicle this season, so hopefully we avoid that circumstance.</p>
