The opening lap of the Qatar Grand Prix was filled with drama after the 2 Mercedes came together. However, after the incident, Lewis Hamilton apologized and took full responsibility for the incident. Soon after this, Helmut Marko took a dig at Lewis Hamilton as he never apologized to Max Verstappen during their battles in 2021.
During an interview with OE24, the following conversation took place between the interviewer and Helmut Marko:
Interviewer: “Toto Wolff was probably annoyed enough about the crash of the Mercedes drivers while working from home. Now apparently Hamilton is suddenly starting to make mistakes too…”
Marko: “Can I please correct that: Now he’s starting to admit mistakes.”
Helmut Marko has taken issue with Lewis Hamilton apparently being the only #F1 driver to admit mistakes.https://t.co/cnwxTSS7VV
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) October 11, 2023
Back in 2021, there were multiple incidents between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. One of these memorable incidents was during the 2021 British Grand Prix where the 2 came together while turning into the copse corner. The incident sent Max Verstappen into the barriers while Lewis Hamilton was still there in the race. The 7-time Champion was struck with a 10-second penalty which he overcame and went on to win the race.
After the race, Lewis Hamilton celebrated his win with his fellow countrymen in the stands. However, he never apologized to Max for the crash. This crash was a defining moment of the 2021 Championship. After this, the two came together again in Monza and Jeddah. A lot of close and aggressive racing was seen during this season.
Max Verstappen & Co. outdone by McLaren in the last 3 races
Despite Mercedes making progress this season, McLaren seems to be even more impressive this season. In the second half of the season, McLaren has made a lot of progress from fighting for points to fighting for podiums. The team took the first win of the season during the Sprint race in Qatar. During the Qatar Grand Prix, Oscar finished only 4 seconds behind Max Verstappen who has often finished over 20 seconds ahead of the rest.
In the last 3 races, McLaren has outscored Red Bull by 30 points. This has sent key personnel in Red Bull running scared. There is a huge chance that they could compete against Red Bull for the Championship next season. This season, no team has been able to challenge Red Bull for the Championship. But we could see a 2 or 3-way battle for the WCC and WDC.
McLaren hasn’t just outscored Red Bull and Ferrari over the past three #F1 race weekends, the team has comfortably done so by a hugely impressive 30+ points! 👏
Can the papaya squad score a first grand prix win in over two years at one of the final five races? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/4O3jPP4DGF
— Autosport (@autosport) October 11, 2023
If McLaren is able to challenge Red Bull next season, Lando Norris could have his first opportunity to win a Championship. It could also provide him and his rookie teammate, Oscar Piastri with the chance to win their first race. Although Oscar is a strong competitor, he has not been able to be as consistent as Lando Norris. This is understandable considering that this is his first year in Formula 1.
We could even see Lewis Hamilton fight for the Championship alongside Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. This would be a very interesting battle which could be very good for the sport.
Do you think McLaren and Mercedes can challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull for the Championship next season?