When Lewis Hamilton won his 103rd race back in 2021, it just sadly marked the end of his victorious period. Since then, an entire season and another season’s opener has been passed without Hamilton being a winner. In the Bahrain 2023 F1 Pre-Season test, Lewis Hamilton once again suspected some problem with Mercedes’ new W14 car. He realized it was imbalanced. And right then, it was proved that 2023 is not Mercedes’ come back at all. Following the disappointment till the weekend, Hamilton remained 50 seconds behind Max Verstappen in the Bahrain Grand Prix. This has been a wake-up call for team Mercedes. And, for Hamilton, it has been a reality check that made him accept the real facts. The fact that the Silver Arrows is still miles away from the podiums.
Just after the first race of the 2023 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton, who came back to reach his ultimate goal, gave a regrettable statement about Mercedes. With Fernando Alonso stepping into the three-way battle for the championship, Hamilton tends to accept that the “podium was nowhere near Mercedes.”
Lewis Hamilton Vs. Alonso Fernando Is Back Once Again
The Sakhir International Circuit has seen the forgotten battle between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso also in the past. But this time, it was a little painful for Mercedes. Aston Martin and Mercedes were wheeled to wheel several times last weekend, re-igniting the old rivalry of the drivers. For the fifth position, Hamilton fought with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. He struggled with Alonso at turn 10. Although this finally paved the way for the Spaniard to get back on the podium after a long time.
In the post-race debriefing, the seven-time world champion explained what exactly happened in the GP that made him accept Mercedes’s reality. Hamilton stated, “With a Ferrari car that would have been ahead of Alonso, we would have been sixth.” Charles Leclerc’s DNF made Hamilton come under the top 5 contenders. It was indeed a tussle out there at Sakhir a week ago. Hamilton once again battling with Fernando Alonso was great for us to see. And it was fun for a moment for Lewis Hamilton as well.
It was a different league performance for the Aston Martin driver. According to Briton, Alonso was too quick. Fans could also see him pulling away with all that was possible. However, Hamilton “enjoyed the tussle.” He is experienced, has been there 16 years, and knows what it takes to win a battle with a driver. And when Fernando caught him at the Bahrain Grand Prix, it was that moment when he realized that the Spaniard was going to come.
Accepting the reality hurts, Lewis Hamilton, who never expected such a car from Mercedes, finally showed his anger towards the team. In order to claim what’s wrong with the team, Hamilton said, “I told them last year. But they did not listen.” Arguably, the Briton is the most experienced personality about cars at present. And he knows what the car needs; he must have advised his team to do something which they ignored. So, a little amount of wrath took birth in Hamilton’s heart, which might let him end his contract with the team or switch.
