Lewis Hamilton has bounced and is happy the season is over.
It was a somewhat fitting end to a difficult season for Lewis Hamilton today in Abu Dhabi. Two laps from the end, his W13, which hadn’t been in top shape the entire race, stopped with technical malheur. The Briton was in fourth place at the time, but was already being attacked by Sainz. In addition, teammate Russell on fresher rubber was also close behind the seven-time champion.
Hamilton thus ended his first season in Formula 1 without winning the entire season. Bizarrely enough, the multi-winner has won at least one every year since 2007. Twice, in 2009 and in 2013, it was only one (remarkably enough in both cases in Hungary), but still. Hamilton indicates that he believed until the last minute that it would also happen this year. But yes, unfortunately not:
I believed until the last race that we might have a chance. It is important to keep hope and keep working. I gave everything, but the last race summed up the whole season. I’m glad it’s over.
Lewis Hamilton, is done with rising for a while.
It was indeed a difficult season for Sir Lewis. The new revolutionary Mercedes turned out not as good as expected. Partly because the technicians had overlooked that porpoising would be a problem thanks to the new technical regulations. The Mercedes was one of the worst bouncers and, in addition, unlike the Ferrari, not very fast. Low point for Hamilton was probably the exit in Q1 at the race in Saudi Arabia.
It was also the year where Hamilton scored fewer points than his teammate for only the third time. That only happened to him in 2011 against Jenson Button and in 2016 against Nico Rosberg. The latter defeated the world champion in his own words in the same car. In 2007, HAM tied for points with ALO, but was ranked an additional second to the Spaniard.
The young George Russell was already seen prior to the season as someone who could put the heat on the 37-year-old champion. And that turned out to be the case. Still, it is certainly not all doom and gloom for Hamilton. The idea that HAM over the hill can go into the fridge after this season.
The veteran even won the qualifying match against mister saturday, with 13-9. He also scored one podium more than RUS. And yes, as far as those points are concerned, it does make a difference of 35 pieces to the disadvantage of Lewis. Anyway, that is not an insurmountable difference on more than 200 points.
So there is still something in the barrel at HAM. His old rival Alonso, who coincidentally also retired today with technical problems, shows that there can still be some years in the tank. We certainly won’t write Hamilton off for 2023. If that Mercedes is just good again, it will just take that eighth title…
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