Lewis Hamilton has insisted that he is communicating "better than ever" with his Mercedes team despite a difficult season last year that saw him lose the world title to Nico Rosberg, and a controversy that arose when he disobeyed team orders in the Abu Dhabi finale.
Hamilton says that the heightened level of communication is down to conversations he had with Mercedes during the winter break, prior to the announcement of Valtteri Bottas as his new team-mate. "I'm feeling in a positive place with the team - we talked about a lot of stuff over the winter, I was able to get some things off my chest and now we are communicating better than ever and continuing to grow together," the Briton revealed.
He also seems to be confident that his relationship with Bottas will be much smoother than it was with Rosberg over the past three seasons. "I'm the best equipped I have ever been to work with my team-mate and manage the relationship with my experience and maturity. I welcome Valtteri to the team and I know that the team will be giving us both everything they can to win the championship."
Mercedes launched its 2017 car, the W08, at Silverstone on Thursday, and Hamilton was first to drive the car after its presentation. Whilst he said it was "inspiring" that the team was continuing to work hard in order to extend its advantage, he declined to state any expectations for the season, perhaps realising that nothing can be predicted until the chequered flag falls in Melbourne.
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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