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via Imago
Formula 1 2023: Australian GP MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, 2nd position, lifts his trophy on the podium during the Australian GP at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday April 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2303_165419MS3_8826
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via Imago
Formula 1 2023: Australian GP MELBOURNE GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, 2nd position, lifts his trophy on the podium during the Australian GP at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday April 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Mark Sutton / Sutton Images Images PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY GP2303_165419MS3_8826
For the longest time in this sport, Lewis Hamilton was the man to beat. Since 2014, the Silver Arrows with Hamilton strapped into the car was an unbeatable combination. That being said, naturally, he had a target on his back. In 2021, Max Verstappen was arguably aiming for it. And as all good things come to an end, Hamilton’s reign at the very top of Formula 1 did too. But the 38-year-old was always keen to fight back. And during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he finally felt like he could.
Starting from third in the race, Hamilton quickly made the jump on Verstappen. Even though Verstappen got Hamilton back eventually, the fact that the Brit stuck behind the Dutch lion for the majority of the race with a respectable margin was enough to give the 7x champion some hope of a foreseeable comeback.
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Lewis Hamilton was eyeing that winning feeling again
After the Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked about his perspective during the whole race and how he coped with a chaotic Australian Grand Prix. He said, “I mean it was kind of, I’ve been doing this for a really long time so,” as quoted on BBC Radio 5’s F1: Chequered Flag podcast. Safe to say, his years of experience really paid off this time around.
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via Imago
HAMILTON Lewis gbr, Mercedes AMG F1 Team W13, portrait VERSTAPPEN Max ned, Red Bull Racing RB18, portrait press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz during the Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix 2022, 19th round of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship, WM, Weltmeisterschaft from October 21 to 23, 2022 on the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas – F1 – UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2022 – RACE DPPI/Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxITAxBEL GP2219_155143_W4I6506
He then went on to explain, “It was kinda textbook really. I don’t know, stay composed. I really felt being in shooting range of a win is something that I’ve not had in forever so, that really felt I could smell it, I could feel it was just right ahead of me. But of course I knew that it would be really hard to beat Max”
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During the race, Verstappen obviously finally led the way to a comfortable race victory. However, the sole fact that Mercedes were ever even in contention for that elusive race victory gives Lewis Hamilton a ton of satisfaction and a hint of hope.
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via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Australian Grand Prix – Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia – April 2, 2023 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning the Australian Grand Prix along with second placed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
During the FIA’s post race conference, he said, “It was very unexpected. Obviously just coming into the weekend, but obviously, also getting a second and third and qualifying yesterday really blew us all away and a huge boost of energy throughout the team.”
“So that meant today we had a shot at, you know, trying to at least overtake Max for a second. And so, we both got ahead, which was amazing. To have a Mercedes one-two for a second. And obviously he came sailing by at one stage, but it was a really entertaining race.”
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Can Lewis Hamilton regularly take the fight to Max Verstappen in 2023, Australia onwards?
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