Lewis Hamilton is determined to challenge Max Verstappen and his impressive reign in Formula 1. With unwavering focus, Hamilton has his sights set on overtaking Verstappen’s current dominance in the sport.
In an encouraging display at the Spanish Grand Prix, the British driver secured a commendable second place. This race showcased the potential of the upgraded Mercedes car, motivating Hamilton to strive for more than just a podium finish. With an unwavering desire to return to his winning ways, he refuses to settle for anything less.
“I want to keep going for as long as I can, but I want to be where he [Verstappen] is, or racing against him, during a private conversation with Total-Motorsport.com.
“So I’m super, super focused on that, and yeah, it’s a long way to go but there’s time.”
Hamilton acknowledges the significant gap between himself and the Red Bull team this season. At times, the Red Bull car has displayed a remarkable advantage of one second per lap over the rest of the field, leading them to secure all the victories in the ongoing 2023 campaign.
“With the current car we have, I don’t think we’ll be matching their performance but we’re working on improving the car,” Hamilton further elaborated on his perspective and provided an explanation for his thoughts.
“With the current package, we’ are limited to the pace that we had on Sunday, but I think there’s a huge amount of work and studying and improvement that we hopefully will have coming in the future.
“I’m more focused on making sure that next year we have the car to challenge them from day one.”
In a thrilling race at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, Hamilton emerged victorious after engaging in a fierce and tumultuous battle with Verstappen throughout the entire event.
This triumphant win not only showcased Hamilton’s remarkable skills but also kept his pursuit of an eighth championship alive. Hamilton intensified the competition with Verstappen by reaching an exact tie in the standings that year.
Contrary to any doubts, Hamilton’s motivation has remained steadfast and has actually intensified his hunger for victory and competitiveness.
Mercedes found themselves at a disadvantage as they entered the new era of regulations, with their 2022 car struggling to keep up with the pace and plagued by the issue of porpoising. Unlike other teams who had already overcome this challenge, Mercedes continued to grapple with finding a solution.
Although the start of 2022 presented its challenges, the Brackley-based team managed to conclude the season on a high note, securing a victory. They seemed to have narrowed the gap to Red Bull, only to face another setback as the 2023 season unfolded.
During the opening race in Bahrain, Mercedes found themselves once again significantly trailing the competition and had even conceded ground to one of their customer teams, Aston Martin.
It was at this critical juncture that they made the decision to abandon the ‘no sidepods concept and embarked on a reset strategy, which has shown promising results since its implementation starting from the Monaco GP.
“I think my hunger has never really shifted,” Hamilton said after the Spanish GP. “I think I’m in a really great place in my life, and I think I’m really happy where I am in my life.
“I’ve got a great, great team around me, both off track and on track, there’s great stuff that’s happening with Mission 44 – that’s got a great time in London and we’re starting to see the impact.
“I’ve got a great team of engineers here and I’ve been with Bono [Peter Bonnington] for a long time. I feel like what Bono and Mike [Elliott] and all the guys are doing is such a fantastic job and I think for me, I feel fit and healthy.”
Following the conclusion of the F1 event in Spain, the attention now turns to the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in 2023.
The highly anticipated race which will take place at the renowned Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal from June 16th to 18th is currently under threat as wildfires cause mayhem in Montreal.
