Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton lost his place on the top of the chart to Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is the new double-time champion of Formula One. On the other hand, Lewis is waiting to win his first race since last year. But the Red Bull star is not giving anybody a chance to take his place on the top. Moreover, Red Bull has won all the races so far. The only driver who was able to beat Max Verstappen this year was his teammate.
Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez defeated Max twice this season. The Mexican started pretty well but could not hold on to it. Red Bull is obviously dominating because of their superior car, RB19. McLaren is doing better after they took inspiration from the RB19’s design to upgrade their MCL60. But Lewis Hamilton voiced against the dominant streak of Verstappen, giving his own streak’s example, that fans don’t want to see that.
Lewis Hamilton Responds To The Comments Calling Him “A Hypocrite”
Indeed it is a question if a single team’s domination over a decade or so is good for the sport. Mercedes had that streak from 2014 to 2021. Prior to Mercedes, Red Bull had from 2010 to 2013. Since 2022, the Austrian team has been back on top. But the whole idea of the cost cap regulations was to make the race fair and equally competitive for every team. However, that has not been the case so far. Lewis Hamilton criticizes F1 dominance, saying it is not great for the fans. His comments on Max Verstappen did not sit well with many fans. Some called him a hypocrite. Nonetheless, Lewis Hamilton stands by his own words.
The seven-time champion spoke with Channel 4, saying, “Even in my time, we were talking about whether the dominance is good for the sport. And it is not. But in our time, we had a good fight against Ferrari, plus there was a chunk of gaps.” According to Lewis Hamilton, everybody wants to see a close fight. That’s what racing is all about. The cost cap rules were supposed to be the stepping stone towards that. But it has not worked so far. Hence, Lewis Hamilton pleads for the conversation to go on to bring profound change.
McLaren’s Norris Came The Closest To Verstappen This Year
However, in terms of the fastest lap, nobody has been able to beat Verstappen in the ten races this year so far. However, McLaren has been gradually improving since the Austrian Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished in second place in the British Grand Prix. He had a tough battle with Lewis Hamilton for the P2 finish. But eventually, the youngster got the better of the veteran. Moreover, Lando Norris not only surprised everybody as he beat Hamilton in back-to-back races.
But also Norris was only 3.7 seconds slower than the winner Max Verstappen. It is the closest anybody has come this season to Verstappen’s speed. However, still, Max Verstappen is holding onto his streak. After the first four races this year, Verstappen has won all the six races that followed. The Dutchman is currently 99 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez who is in second place.