For a long time, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were the duo being hunted by everyone else in Formula 1. However, from the 2022 season, they have become the hunters. Max Verstappen and Red Bull have begun their domination era since then.
Red Bull’s RB19, the car they are using for the 2023 season, has won every race so far this season. Mercedes have been stuck behind them for some time now. The last Grand Prix was won by Lewis Hamilton at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021. Until the 2022 season, Lewis Hamilton had won at least 1 race every year since he joined Formula 1. If he goes without a win in the 2023 season as well, it would become 2 seasons in a brown for Lewis Hamilton without a win.
🗣️ | Lewis Hamilton conceded his driving ability alone is not enough to catch up with Red Bull
“I’m always trying to rely on my driving ability to make up for the [W14 performance deficit], but it’s not been ultimately enough in a lot of places”
“If you look at the race in… pic.twitter.com/brC5s476iO
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) August 8, 2023
during the British Grand Prix, Hamilton took a podium finish only behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. After the Grand Prix, he said:
“I’m always trying to rely on my driving ability to make up for the [W14 performance deficit], but it’s not been ultimately enough in a lot of places. If you look at the race in Silverstone, you may not have seen it, but we were equal in time until Turn 13 to Max on a qualifying lap. Then we just lost the performance and speed after that”
The weekend after the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position of the season before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Will Lewis Hamilton win a race in 2023?
With Mercedes now starting to shift focus to the 2024 season, they will not be bringing any major updates for the W14. Red Bull on the other hand is expected to bring more upgrades for their RB19. So this makes Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning a race this year a bit slim.
However, since Mercedes has decided to focus on the W15 a bit earlier than usual, there is a chance that they might be able to beat Red Bull next year. A lot of teams are taking inspiration from the RB19 to design their 2024 challenger. It is unclear if Mercedes is doing the same. However, this might force Red Bull to build an even better car with the RB20 for next year.
🗣️ | Lewis Hamilton conceded his driving ability alone is not enough to catch up with Red Bull
“I’m always trying to rely on my driving ability to make up for the [W14 performance deficit], but it’s not been ultimately enough in a lot of places”
“If you look at the race in… pic.twitter.com/brC5s476iO
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) August 8, 2023
There is no doubt that Lewis Hamilton still possesses a lot of talent while driving a Formula 1 car. He has won 7 world Championships and has racked up 103 race wins. If Mercedes are able to build a car that is even close to Red Bull’s pace, Lewis Hamilton’s talent could help him and the team fight for Championships in the coming years.
Let’s see how Mercedes develops their W15 for next year. There is little chance that Lewis Hamilton would be able to win a race this year.