Lewis Hamilton concerned by Red Bull’s enduring advantage
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Lewis Hamilton questioned whether Mercedes could close the gap in 2024.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ABU DHABI – Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed concern about Red Bull’s continued dominance, questioning whether Mercedes could close the gap in 2024 after Formula One’s Abu Dhabi season-ender on Nov 26.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took a record 19th victory in 22 grands prix,
The manner of the Dutch driver’s final victory of the campaign provided little reassurance for those hoping for closer competition in 2024, with Verstappen 17.993 seconds clear of Ferrari runner-up Charles Leclerc.
The once-dominant Mercedes finished second in the constructors’ championship but with less than half the points scored by Red Bull.
“It’s not been a great year. There’s not a lot to take from the year in general. The fact that I survived it, probably that’s about it,” Hamilton told Sky Sports after finishing ninth, with teammate George Russell third.
“At this moment, I don’t really know,” the 38-year-old Briton added, when asked whether he believed Mercedes could challenge with 2024’s car.
“For Red Bull to win by 17 seconds in the end and they haven’t even developed their car since August is definitely a concern. But we’ve learnt a lot about the car and it’s just down to the team now. They know what they need to do. Whether or not we will get there, we will see.”
Russell, 25, added: “It’s been a massive relief to bring the car home P3. I can’t believe it’s only the second podium of the year. It’s been such a challenging season and I’ve let the side down a couple of times this year, so I’m pleased today.”
Team boss and co-owner Toto Wolff sounded more optimistic, despite Mercedes ending a season winless for the first time since 2011.
“This day feels like you’ve won and that’s great. We’ve got to be happy about that but also as a racer you want more, but today we won,” he said, of the battle with Ferrari for second overall.
“We have a gap to the leaders, but the two (Mercedes) teams in Brackley and Brixworth (engines) are so motivated. We have so much good things in the pipeline, so much new things.
“I am in a really good place to see what’s coming together. We’ve got to take momentum from here and take that momentum into the factories.”
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was given a formal warning for calling F1 stewards “a joke” over team radio after they gave him a five-second penalty during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The sanction demoted the Mexican from second at the chequered flag, in a one-two with teammate Verstappen, to fourth.
“The stewards are a joke, man. I cannot believe it. They have been very bad this year but this is a joke. That was really a joke,” Perez said on his slowing down lap.
Stewards summoned the driver to a post-race hearing and handed him a warning.
“The stewards explained to the driver that they had no issue with someone disagreeing with their decisions, however, comments that amount to personal insults are a breach of the International Sporting Code,” they said in a statement.
They noted Perez had made “a genuine and sincere apology” to each of them, explaining he made the comments in the heat of the moment and had not considered them being broadcast to a wider audience. REUTERS, AFP
