Lewis Hamilton’s initial criticism of Max Verstappen’s F1 dominance has certainly caused a stir, even though he stands firmly behind his words.
The British driver believes that his own period of dominance serves as a prime example of what fans don’t want to witness.
Red Bull’s level of dominance has escalated to new heights in the ongoing campaign. After their title double in 2022, the Austrian powerhouse has kicked off the current season with a remarkable 10 wins out of 10 races, accompanied by a pair of sprint victories.
On the other hand, Mercedes finds itself amidst a fierce battle alongside Aston Martin, Ferrari, and McLaren. Hamilton was unequivocal in stating that he wasn’t singling out any particular driver or team.
The 38-year-old emphasized that his own remarkable run, along with Mercedes’ impressive string of victories, winning eight Constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021, and securing six Drivers’ crowns for himself, was equally detrimental to the sport’s appeal.
With Verstappen and Red Bull once again dominating the scene, Hamilton now recognizes the familiar pattern emerging.
He firmly believes that Formula 1 cannot afford to let history repeat itself, understanding the importance of preventing such a scenario for the sake of the passionate fans who support the sport.
In his interview with Channel 4, Hamilton discussed his initial criticism of Verstappen’s dominance. “’I saw all the things that that spiralled into, and they’re like ‘you didn’t say anything when you were…’”
“The truth is, it’s something we’ve been talking [about], we’d had conversations and we’ve been talking about it even when we were having our dominance.
“I remember when there were times we had really good battles with Ferrari, and then I remember times where we had a chunk of a gap, and for me, that wasn’t really…
“Of course I wanted to be at the front and I wanted to be fighting, but having a half-a-second gap to the car behind, it doesn’t really feel…you wanted to have close racing, that’s what racing is all about.
“So I think they changed the rules, put this budget cap in, it’s supposed to level the field and it hasn’t done that. So, all I’m saying is we just have to continue to have the conversation.
“At the moment, if we keep things the way they are, maybe it’ll be Ferrari next to have several years of dominance and then it will be someone else, maybe McLaren will be or maybe Mercedes will be back and again.
Delving deeper into the matter, the illustrious seven-time world champion elaborated on the profound impact that these occurrences have within the realm of the sport.
“But I think that’s not what’s best for the fans ultimately. And even if we end up having we’re not getting back to the front end, all I’m talking about is we shouldn’t be able to have dominance for multiple years.
“It’s got to be tough, it’s got to be closer for us all and I think that’s what will make it more exciting for the fans.
“Just from a fan point of view, of growing up watching the grand prix, I don’t think anybody wants to see the period that I had, the period that Michael [Schumacher] had, the period [Sebastian] Vettel had and now Max will be having.”
