During the Dutch Grand Prix, a couple of fans were spotted holding a hilarious banner concerning Lewis Hamilton. This banner went viral on social media as Lewis Hamilton’s fans came to his defense.
The Banner was directly mocking Lewis Hamilton who is not able to challenge Max Verstappen for the Championship. More specifically was a missing person banner with Lewis Hamilton’s name and picture. According to the banner he was last seen at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the status of his eyes was crying.
weirdos pic.twitter.com/elOTkwtUBx
— Marina (@xxoMarina) August 26, 2023
Ever since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has not had the opportunity to challenge Max Verstappen for a win again. This has prompted Verstappen fans to start mocking the 7-time Champion. Lews has even been booed by the Dutch fanbase.
Lewis Hamilton’s fanbase has come up to defend Lewis Hamilton since the post went viral. Lewis is yet to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. He did take his first pole position in Hungary but lost the position to Max Verstappen soon after the race started.
It is unlikely that Hamilton will be able to challenge Max Verstappen this season. Verstappen has taken a 125-point lead from Sergio Perez in 2nd place. Lewis Hamilton is in 4th place, 166 points behind Max Verstappen. It is fair to say that Max Verstappen has won the Championship. Receiving the trophy is just a formality at this point.
Hamilton had a poor qualifying session after getting knocked out in Q2. He will be starting P13 on the grid for the Dutch Grand Prix while Max Verstappen will start on pole.
Why is Lewis Hamilton not able to challenge Max Verstappen?
There is no doubt that Lewis Hamilton is an exceptional driver. He has won 7 Championships with most of them coming with the Mercedes team. However, he has not been able to deliver the usual results for the last 2 years. From 2014 till 2021, Lewis Hamilton has been fighting for wins and championships in every race of every season. But he has been nowhere close to the Championship since 2022.
After the 2021 season, Formula 1 and the FIA introduced a few major rule changes. These major changes have made it difficult for Mercedes to develop a good car. Red Bull on the other hand was able to take complete advantage and build a dominating car. Max Verstappen won 15 races in the 2022 season and looks good to break his own record this season as well.
Lewis Hamilton: “Shit happens, I’ll just give it my best shot tomorrow.”
😭😭😭
— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) August 26, 2023
Mercedes on the other hand have made some progress. However, it doesn’t seem enough for Lewis Hamilton to challenge Max Verstappen. The team has announced that they will be shifting focus to the 2024 season now. So this should help them compete for the Championship soon. It could provide Lewis Hamilton the chance to break the record for most Championships.
Let’s see how Mercedes develops their car for next year and if Lewis Hamilton can use it to win his 8th Championship.