Hamilton ’happier’ with 2015 Mercedes form

Lewis Hamilton is heading into the Austrian grand prix as the overwhelming favourite to win.

The world champion and 2015 title leader bounced back from the Monaco strategy blunder, and back-to-back wins by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, to dominate the recent Canadian grand prix.

"Nico was quick," said Hamilton, "but I felt like I always had it under control.

"I had a bit of time in my pocket to be able to pull it out when I needed, so it (the pressure from Rosberg) was never too serious."

The signs for Austria, therefore, are ominous.

But last year at the Red Bull Ring, it was Rosberg who won, following a qualifying spin for Hamilton.

In Canada, where his run of wins ended, the German joked that he was missing his ’lucky charm’ — his heavily pregnant wife Vivian, who skipped Montreal but had been trackside for the breakthrough triumphs in Barcelona and Monaco.

Bild newspaper has this week spotted the Rosbergs holidaying at their second home in Ibiza, where Nico may have been trying to convince his wife to make the trip to Austria.

"We will have to see if it is possible," he smiled, referring to Vivian’s now-looming due date for the birth of their daughter.

Hamilton, however, insists he is on a run of form that is better even than in 2014, when he ultimately beat Rosberg to the title.

"I am even happier in this car than I was in last year’s," he is quoted by the Austrian news agency APA.

"I don’t know why, it just feels better. I’m faster this year, which is a good thing," Hamilton added.