Lewis Hamilton had one of the worst races of his career in Imola, where he finished in the 13th position. The seven-time world champ failed to finish in the top-10 for the first time since the first GP of the season in Bahrain. After the disappointment at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has dropped to the seventh spot in the F1 2022 drivers’ rankings. It is the first time since 2013 that Lewis has gone below the top two spots. Moreover, Hamilton is 58 points away from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who leads the rankings with 86 points.
It has been a rough run for Hamilton in 2022 as Mercedes’ struggles with the W13 still continues. However, Hamilton’s younger teammate George Russell managed to put another strong performance by finishing fourth in Imola amidst all the chaos. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old started the race in 14th place on the grid after a poor qualifying sprint. Unfortunately, Hamilton could gain just one position throughout the 63 laps. He was involved in constant battle with Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly. Lewis Hamilton tried hard for over an hour and a half to break into the top-10, but the Briton failed miserably.
The disheartening race at Imola might have cost him the championship this year for the second time in a row. Hamilton has already ruled himself out of the title race after just four outings, given the struggling path the Mercedes have ahead of them. Former German-Finnish driver Nico Rosenberg feels that it was tough to see Lewis in that state.
Rosenberg Believes Hamilton Will Still Fight Back:
While talking to Sky Sports, Rosenberg said Hamilton ruling himself out of the championship after four outings is understandable. The former F1 driver told that it is a long season, and Mercedes have not been able to make any progress with their car’s issues. Moreover, Nicco believes that the Silver Arrows will not be able to battle for race wins anytime soon, which will make it hard for Lewis to keep his motivation up.
Further, Nicco is sure that the British racer would manage because he is a fighter. Rosenberg shared that beating his teammate would be a factor in Hamilton’s mind. It is going to be an important goal for the former world champ moving ahead in the championship. Nicco commended George Russell for his performance this season, which could be the biggest motivation for Lewis to keep going. Rosenberg feels that, “Lewis Hamilton does not want to see George in front of him ever again. I think that will keep the fire on.”
Undoubtedly, Lewis Hamilton is going through the worst patch of his long F1 career. His team is clearly struggling to find pace on the track and compete to win. The Briton’s struggles give wind to the rumors that Hamilton was set to retire after losing the championship to Verstappen in 2021. However, the troubles with Mercedes and his own personal form could result in Hamilton retiring from Formula One. However, he will look to make a strong comeback at the inaugural Miami Grand Prix scheduled on May 8.