‘Best Car’ Meant Lewis Hamilton ‘Got Away’ With His Mistakes: Ex F1 Driver

Even as a 7-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton is far from a perfect driver. According to former F1 driver Jan Lammers, the Mercedes driver is capable of making mistakes and Imola is proof.

However, Lammers insisted that this time, the British driver paid for it and lost out on the win. The Mercedes star got a poor start and got swallowed by the Red Bulls. Max Verstappen was able to barge past the Briton and Lewis lost some momentum.

In spite of that, he remained on the prowl during the first half of the race. Unfortunately for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton undid all his hard work when lapping George Russell.

The 36-year-old tried a move around the outside of Russell, but it went wrong for him. As a result, he lost control and slid into the gravel, a la Sebastian Vettel, when he ran over a damp patch.

What else happened to Lewis Hamilton during the race?

On the bright side, Hamilton did what Vettel couldn’t and found a way back on track. Unfortunately, he tumbled down the order to 9th but managed to claw his way back to finish at a magnificent P2. According to Lammers, a mistake from Hamilton is a rarity, but this time he did not get away so easily.

“Well, I don’t think that’s too bad,” he said. “Hamilton makes mistakes more often than not. His mistakes were never punished because he drove the best car and always got away with it.

“Often Hamilton is there at the moments that matter, but especially at Imola you saw everyone was vulnerable because of the circumstances.”

Also Read- Verstappen Forced “Desperate” Lewis Hamilton Into Imola F1 Mistake: Palmer

Irrespective of the costly error, Max Verstappen had the measure of Hamilton throughout the race. Lammers believes that Verstappen’s start from P3 on the grid, played a large role in securing the victory.

Then at the first corner, he forced Hamilton out of the way, resulting in minor damage to the W12. Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton rallied forth to snatch P2 and the fastest lap to retain the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.