Lewis Hamilton came extremely near to creating history in Formula 1 by winning record eight championships. The Mercedes driver almost achieved the feat last season as he battled for the championship against Red Bull\’s Max Verstappen. The two drivers came to Abu Dhabi for the last race of the season with equal championship points. Hamilton led the race for the most part. However, a late safety car resulted in the Briton losing his lead. Eventually, when the race restarted in the last lap, the Dutchman managed to finish ahead of Hamilton to win his maiden championship title. Thus, Lewis ended up still being tied with Michael Schumacher at seven championship titles.
Lewis had a rough time after the controversial race in Abu Dhabi. He returned after a month of isolation with hopes of competing for his eighth title once again. However, the new aerodynamic regulations resulted in the newly designed W13 having trouble with porpoising issues. As a result, Mercedes lacked the crucial performance to compete at the front with Red Bull and Ferrari. The Briton has failed to win a single race in 2022 and currently sits sixth in the drivers\’ championship, 99 points behind the leader Verstappen. Thus, after the first half that Mercedes have had, it does not seem realistic for Lewis Hamilton to win the championship this year.
Although the only driver who seems to have a real chance of beating Max is Ferrari\’s, Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque has won three races and is 38 points behind the Dutchman. On the other hand, Lewis has only one season left with Mercedes as his contract ends at the end of 2023. Therefore, it could turn out to be nearly impossible for the Briton to create the record for most championship wins in F1. However, Charles Leclerc believes that Lewis Hamilton could still win his eighth title amid the fading hopes.
Could Lewis Win His Eighth Championship?
Lewis Hamilton led Mercedes to eight straight constructors\’ championships since 2014. However, this year, the Silver Arrows have only been the third fastest team. They lack the performance to fight for a race win. While the situation has improved for Mercedes in recent times, they are still far behind from a race win. Thus, if the german outfit gets their 2023 car right, Hamilton might have a chance of winning his eighth championship title.
Although the Briton\’s future in F1 is quite unsure, he might or might not extend his contract after 2023. However, Leclerc feels that Lewis can still achieve the rare feat. Talking to Daily Mail, The Monegasque said that if Lewis Hamilton gets the right car, he could definitely win as he is great. However, the Ferrari driver said that if he were against Hamilton for the championship battle, he would choose himself over Lewis. He concluded, \”Sorry, Lewis.\”