Lewis Hamilton fought Max Verstappen till the very end of the 2021 championship. But in the end, the Briton was denied an 8th F1 crown as Verstappen claimed his maiden Championship win after a controversial ending.
But the same cannot be said in 2022 where Red Bull and Verstappen sealed the championship after a dominant display throughout the season. Max claimed his 2nd F1 title in 2022 with 4 races to spare in Japan.
While Red Bull broke Mercedes’s stronghold on the constructor’s championship by beating them for the first time in 8 years, both have received praise from Lewis himself.
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Hamilton praises Max Verstappen for 2022 performance
Lewis Hamilton knows a thing or two about winning in F1. But Max Verstappen has surpassed the 7-time World Champion in many records on his way to the 2022 title.
Verstappen has broken the long-standing record for most wins in a season by a driver. He surpassed Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s 13 wins in a season. He has also managed to secure the most amount of points (416) in a season. And there are still 2 more races to go.
All of which have impressed Lewis. He says, “I can’t say that I’ve had time to study every aspect of what Max has done this year, but I think he’s done an amazing job,”
Lewis adds, “He’s done everything that he had to do. The team provided him with an amazing car and he’s delivered every weekend. He can be proud of the job that he’s done”
When asked if Verstappen could extend his current tally of wins in 2022, The Briton feels most likely. Lewis answered, “He’s got a chance to win the next two races, so he could take that record even further.”
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Can Lewis Hamilton claim a ‘home’ race win in Interlagos?
Lewis Hamilton battled hard with Max Verstappen to claim an emphatic win last year at Interlagos. The victory and his gesture to unflur the Brazilian flag saw him receive an honourary Brazilian citizenship ahead of the 2022 Brazilian GP.
However, his and Mercedes’s fortunes haven’t been good in 2022 with neither securing a win so far. Lewis feels his car has improved over the course of the season. But it is still far off from the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari.
Lewis said, “Honestly, every time we arrive at a track, we’re surprised one way or another. Either by how big the gap is or how close we are, so I won’t know until tomorrow where that is.”
Interlagos holds a special place in Hamilton’s heart. It is where he was crowned an F1 champion for the first time in 2008. And he hopes he gets his first win of the season on ‘home’ turf.
Lewis added, “I don’t know if the car will be spectacular here. I don’t know if we’ll be as close as we were last to race. I don’t think we will, but I hope we’re surprised and that’s not the case.”
Although the Mercedes racer feels Brazil’s unique track and the high chance of wet conditions make it difficult to predict the race ahead. But compared to the long straights in Abu Dhabi, Interlagos seems like the best option for a race win.
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