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“In such a difficult season as 2023, there were always moments when I asked myself: is it me or is it the car?” These words come from Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who revealed in a BBC interview that he had been plagued by self-doubt throughout the year.
The 38-year-old remained winless in 2023, just like in 2022. His last of a total of 103 Grand Prix successes came on December 5, 2021 in Saudi Arabia. That season, the Mercedes star missed out on his eighth world title in the highly controversial showdown in Abu Dhabi.
Changing of the guard at the end of 2021
“Do you still have it?” The Briton, as he now reveals, questioned his own abilities. For years, he and Mercedes practically dominated the Formula 1 world at will. The changing of the guard took place at the end of 2021. Max Verstappen (26) and Red Bull have been virtually unbeatable for two years.
As early as February 2023, when Hamilton tested the Mercedes W14 for the first time, he knew immediately: just like in 2022, he was in an inferior car. Looking back, he says, “I asked for certain changes, but they weren’t implemented.” The difficulty was that “no one knew exactly what the problem was, and therefore no one knew how to solve it.”
Hungarian pole as highlight
Although Hamilton performed better in the Drivers’ Championship in 2023 (3rd) than in 2022 (6th), he scored fewer points overall (234/240) and was on the podium less often (6/9). There were also 22 World Cup races in 2023. The number of speed flights was doubled (from 3 to 6). Hamilton had one more highlight this year: pole position (his 104th) in July in Hungary. “You try to be grateful for everything that successfully crosses your path when you’ve been through such difficult times,” he said in a Blick interview this fall.
His new Mercedes contract runs until the end of 2025. In 2024 he wants to attack again with the W15. Hamilton exuded confidence to the BBC in this regard; he sees light at the end of the victoryless tunnel thanks to the new working tool (“a North Star”). The new Formula 1 season starts on March 2, 2024. (yes)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
