Lewis Hamilton Pins the Blame on Max Verstappen While Reflecting on One of the Biggest Regrets of the Season: “My Race Ended…”

How rare is a feat that you win a race every time you compete? Lewis Hamilton just turns up every season in F1 and wins races. He may have the luxury of a great team and a fast car. Nonetheless, his consistent execution on track is amazing. But 2022 was not to be for him, as he failed to maintain his winning streak since his rookie year.

Lewis Hamilton was quite close to maintaining his unique record of winning every season he raced in. At the Sao Paulo GP, Mercedes was competitive than ever in the entire season till then. George Russell who started P3 was battling for the lead, with his teammate coming from behind in 8th.

As an early safety ended, Max Verstappen was right on Hamilton’s tail, to attempt an overtake. Though the duo collided going through the Senna’s S corners and suffered damage. While the Dutchman dropped back in the pack, Hamilton somehow managed to keep going in the Top-5.

But he mentioned post-race, that after his collision with Max, his winning chances were over. He said, “It is certain, my race ended after contact with Max (Verstappen).” [translated via Google]

“I think we would have had a lot more chances with the two saves we had and putting the pressure on it would have been nice to have that battle.”

While Lewis continued to stay in range with Russell, who led the race; it was not enough as the 103-time race winner had to settle for 2nd.

Read More: “A Square Peg Trying to Fit In A Round Hole”: Lewis Hamilton Management Nightmare Was Once Laid Bare By Mercedes F1 Top-Dogs

Nonetheless, Hamilton was happy about Russell’s first F1 win and his team getting a 1-2 finish in Brazil.

Is George Russell the Ideal Teammate for Lewis Hamilton?

Ever since George Russell has been touted to take the Mercedes seat, many have countered that the team may face a tedious driver relationship. With Lewis Hamilton being the top driver at Brackley, many claimed that Russell will have to stay in a supporting role.

Though looking at the 2022 season, the dynamic looks quite settled between the British duo. George has been quite consistent on pace with Hamilton, and they have worked well together as a team.

It’s not fair to judge that everything will be fine in the future, as the Silver Arrows had an off-season in 2022. It will be intriguing to see the same when Mercedes gets a competitive car to fight for the championship.

Drivers stepping on each other’s toes isn’t breaking news to Toto Wolff. He has witnessed and managed a tense dynamic between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton prior to 2016. So, if Russell and Hamilton bang wheels on track next year, Toto and Co. know how to handle the issue.

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The 2023 season is one of hope for the Brackley-based team. All efforts will be on making the next year’s car faster and more consistent to challenge for the title. They just might hope Hamilton and Russell don’t clash with each other.