It was a rather disappointing weekend for Lewis Hamilton at the Styrian Grand Prix despite securing a solid P2 finish and an extra point for the fastest lap. However, the Briton is well aware that podiums aren’t going to help him defeat the championship leader, Max Verstappen.
Hence, in a bid to challenge Red Bull over the upcoming weekend, the 7-time world champion has been working with the team through the entire week, without much break.
In the process, he also tried his hand on the simulator for the first time. Of course, one might assume it is not necessarily a huge deal. But, it is.
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What’s interesting about this is that Hamilton hasn’t been a great fan of simulators, and once even reckoned they are pointless to him.
What did Lewis Hamilton say?
As reported by Formule1, Hamilton opened up that he opted for the simulator after enduring tough weekends in France and Styria.
“I can’t say I really enjoyed it,” he said. “But especially after those grueling races we’ve had, I wanted to try and see if there was anything I could try to help the team prepare. Something positive has come out of that, it won’t change everything.”
“Monday was all about recovery. Tuesday was just a working day. I try to figure out where we can still take steps with the car. That’s what I’ve spent my energy on,” Hamilton added.
During the ongoing season, Verstappen breached Mercedes’ dominance which had held its place for over 7 years. While a lot predicted a strong comeback from the Brackley outfit, the gap only seems to be growing further with each passing weekend.
Read More: Why Does Lewis Hamilton Drive with #44 on his Car?
I will keep working on it: Hamilton
Despite the disinterest in simulators, Hamilton reckoned that he isn’t going to stop working on them. “I will keep working on it, we have drivers who are also doing a good job,” he said.
“It was also good to work on the work processes, on how we communicate with the drivers and put together the program. So we keep testing the right things, it’s been positive overall. Everyone works flat out. We are discovering more and more about this car, where we can gain time.”
Overall, Hamilton isn’t ready to give his hopes up on the title and is still very much eying his 8th championship win. But, the biggest obstacle between himself and the record-breaking title win is the flying Dutchman, who has been in a blazing form since the start of this season.
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So, can Hamilton somehow find a way past the solid Red Bull driver this season? Or will Verstappen finally end Mercedes’ reign in the sport?
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