“We will be pushing like crazy in the 2nd half”: Lewis Hamilton warns F1 rivals to ‘be ready’ as 7x champion vows Mercedes resurgence 

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wished his fans well for the upcoming summer break after the final race of the first half of the season came to a close in Belgium on Sunday.

The Briton started the main race from P3 but lost one position after Red Bull driver Max Verstappen eventually passed him in the opening couple of long laps. From there on, he was challenging Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc for the final podium position but could not make any headway, and eventually conceded after pitting to attempt the fastest lap, which he secured.

In his message to his fans, Lewis Hamilton said:

"Hey guys, just want to say a big big thank you for the support at all of these races. It's been incredible to see you show up in full form and bring that energy so thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and from the team as well. We're so proud to have your support in all these different places we go and just know we are fighting and pushing as hard as we can.

The Brit added:

"We want you to enjoy your summer break, All the best to you and your families. Look forward to seeing some of you in the second half of the season. We will be pushing like crazy in the 2nd half so be ready,"

Lewis Hamilton analyzes his 2023 F1 Belgian GP main race

The seven-time world champion stated that the Belgian GP was a non-eventful race for him as he could not make any progress in getting the final podium position on the track.

Speaking with F1.com, Lewis Hamilton said:

"It was a non-eventful race for me today with not a huge amount going on. I was unable to keep up with the cars ahead of me and was struggling in the beginning. We know the rear end is our biggest issue and then we had some bouncing this weekend. In the end, I was keeping the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc within a few seconds, but I couldn’t get any closer.

The 38-year-old said:

"It was nice to have the gap to the car behind and to attempt to go for the fastest lap. It was gusty out there today and difficult to keep it on the track, but my lap was decent. We know we have more work to do to close the gap to the front. We’ll work with all the data we’ve accumulated and try to figure out what we can do for the next race after the summer break."

It will be fascinating to see how Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes fare when we return for the second half of the season in Zandvoort at the end of August.