As of the 2023 Belgian GP, Hamilton hasn’t won a Grand Prix since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which is a total of 35 races. In 2022, he went through the first winless season of his career. Meanwhile, his 2021 rival Max Verstappen has won 26 races, and two World Championships, and is currently on his way to a third in the RB19. He has won eight straight and 10 overall from the first 12 races of ’23.
Hamilton has achieved his first pole position since the Saudi Arabian race. However, he has acknowledged that it may be challenging to secure a win in the second half of the season due to the pace advantage that Red Bull holds. Hamilton doubts that he will end his long winless streak in Formula 1, given the dominance of Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Hamilton skeptical of breaking winless streak
According to Racing365, when asked about the season, Hamilton stated that although they did not begin where they hoped to at the start of the year. However, they have made significant progress. He even expressed his hope for even more progress in the second phase of the season.
The primary objective for Hamilton is to ensure that his team secures second place. This accomplishment would mean a great deal to everyone working at the factory. Although it’s unlikely that we can overtake the Red Bulls at the moment, achieving this goal would put us in a favourable position for the upcoming year.
When asked about the Red Bulls he had this to say: “At the moment, I’m not quite sure we can currently compete with them on race pace.
“There were times in [Hungary] Max was around eight-tenths faster than everyone on a single lap. But never say never.”
He expressed his appreciation for his team’s hard work and stated that he is truly proud of them. They are currently competing for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, which was unexpected given their initial performance during the first test. This achievement is a result of the excellent teamwork happening behind the scenes.
When was the last time Lewis Hamilton won a F1 championship?
The 7-time WDC champion has been experiencing a slump in performance, starting after the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP event. This can be attributed to one major factor, namely the lack of a competitive car from Mercedes for the British driver. The W13 vehicle was the least impressive car Hamilton had driven in some time, resulting in him being outperformed by his teammate George Russell.
Lewis has utterly dominated the sport before 2021. He, with the Silver Arrows, went on to win six championships and in the process made them win 7 constructor titles. Lewis’s last championship win came in 2020 at the Turkish GP. Lewis held a 124-point lead over his back-then teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton’s start in his F1 career is often overlooked, due to his later accomplishments. However, his rookie year can be considered his most impressive in the sport. In 2007, Hamilton was paired with reigning double-champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren, and he left his mark on the sport from the very first corner of his career. His title was snatched by Kimi as they had a mere difference of a point. His maiden title came the next year when his rival was Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who he defeated to be crowned as a world champion that year.
What are your thoughts on Mercedes’ performance this season? Do you believe that Max can replicate Lewis’ success in the sport? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
