In Belgium, record-breaking champion Lewis Hamilton has said he won’t be mad if he can put the 2022 Mercedes aside at the end of the season. Is the rest of the program just torture for the 103-times GP winner?
Lewis Hamilton found clear words at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Disappointed with the lack of competitiveness of his Mercedes W13, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion said: “I won’t be angry if I can put this car aside.” But in the Zandvoort paddock, the Englishman denies that he sees the remaining eight GP weekends of the year as a chore.
“No, I don’t see it that way,” says the most successful Formula 1 driver during his media round. “Basically, I love my job and it doesn’t matter if I’m fighting for victory or for whatever position.”
“I like to get down to work with my mechanics and engineers, and especially when things aren’t going so well, like in Belgium, I love races that follow each other at weekly intervals. Then you can put a crap weekend behind you faster. »
“It is a tremendous challenge to wrestle with this race car every day. You can hardly imagine how much brain power goes into trimming this car for speed. And with all the work, it’s also an opportunity for me to keep learning and to refine my skills in order to figure out the pitfalls of a car. I like this.”
“I’ve never caught myself thinking, ‘Oh, if only this season were over.’ Because today the course is set for the 2023 Mercedes. We want to build a better racing car for next year and I will do everything I can to achieve that goal.”
“Now is the time to convey more precisely than ever before what this car is doing on the track – and what I need from the racing car in order to get the most out of it. Time goes by so unbelievably fast. We’re in the middle of the season, but the lead times involved in building a Formula 1 car are significant. In these weeks, the brakes for 2023 will be defined or the power transmission. I want to add a lot of information before the last word is said here.”
“Mercedes has won the Constructors’ Championship eight times in a row. I have every confidence that we can emerge at the top again. But that has become more difficult against the background of the cost cap and limited wind tunnel hours. »
A year ago, Lewis Hamilton came to Zandvoort as the world championship leader, involved in a breathtaking duel with Max Verstappen for the title. From a little further back, how does he see the Dutchman’s performances in 2022? “I’m almost more impressed with their chief engineer, Adrian Newey. We’re talking about a great team that has always built good racing cars. They have put an amazing car on the road, and Adrian Newey’s experience with wing cars in America certainly came in handy in moving to the 2022 generation of wing cars.”
“I know I said earlier that the others were just a beverage producer and, unlike us, not a car manufacturer. But that was never meant negatively. They have proved all the critics wrong and what they are showing in 2022 is very impressive.”
How was Lewis Hamilton received here in Zandvoort? The Brit replies: “I always liked being in Zandvoort, I already thought the track was a hit in Formula 3. This course is old school as it should be, then those awesome banked turns. With the exception of Austin, this cannot be compared to any new route. »
“As for the fans: I appreciate the energy of the racegoers and it is not so important for me who they support. The fans create this unique atmosphere, this electricity. Of course this is Max’s home race; I guess that’s the same feeling for him that I get to enjoy at the British Grand Prix.”
1. Training, Zandvoort
01. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, 1:12,455 min
02. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, 1:12,695
03. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, 1:12.845
04. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, 1:12.929
05. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), McLaren, 1:13,077
06. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, 1:13,127
07. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, 1:13.416
08. Fernando Alonso (L), Alpine, 1:13,633
09. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, 1:13,963
10. Alex Albon (T), Williams, 1:14,063
11. Mick Schumacher (D), Haas, 1:14,163
12. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, 1:14,257
13. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, 1:14.405
14. Pierre Gasly (F), AlphaTauri, 1:14.474
15. Sebastian Vettel (D), Aston Martin, 1:14,500
16. Guanyu Zhou (RC), Alfa Romeo, 1:14,534
17. Yuki Tsunoda (J), AlphaTauri, 1:14,630
18. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Alfa Romeo, 1:14,695
19. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:14,714
20. Nicholas Latifi (CDN), Williams, 1:15,122