March 30, (THEWILL) – Mercedes Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton, has given an honest assessment of his team’s chances of catching up with Red Bull in the F1 championship this season.
Speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton said that it would “take us the rest of the year to potentially close that gap” to Red Bull. He added that he was uncomfortable with the positioning of the cockpit in the W14 car and that Red Bull was likely to continue evolving their car.
Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, also admitted that they were not optimistic about their chances of catching up with Red Bull, who have enjoyed a dominant start to the F1 season, in continuation of 2022. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has taken an early lead in the standings, with Sergio Perez close behind him.
However, Perez was “certain” he could beat his teammate to win his first world title and has emphasised the importance of consistency throughout the season.
Red Bull is bidding to win another constructors’ championship, while Verstappen aims to win his third successive title. Hamilton and Mercedes are hoping to catch up with their rivals, but it remains to be seen if they can overcome the early deficit. The next race of the season is the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy, on April 10.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
