Lewis Hamilton’s “instinctive, unconscious speed has possibly left him” says Damon Hill
Hamilton was out-performed by 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell last season, and didn’t win a single race in 2022 for the first time in his F1 career.
Now 38, he has been out-qualified at the first three grands prix of 2023 by theꦫ ambitious Russell.
Ex-F1 champion Hill tꦰold the F1 Nation podcast about the dynamic between two rival teammates: “We’re competitive and political. You have to be aware of rising forces♋ or empires.
“George has to work very hard to make himself a valued asset o👍f the team, which he’s doing.
“He has to do the hard work. Lewis doesn’t hav༺e to.
“They know what they’ve got with Lewis - they know,ღ given half a chance, he’ll be back on top form and can deliver extraordinary races.
“They know George can do that too, but he’s🅰 yet tꦓo prove it.
“L𝄹ewis is very good at sussing this out - he’ll be൩ thinking: ‘I’ll let you do the hard work, George, because it’s exhausting’.
“As presideওnt of the GPDA he’s got a big workload, Ge𓃲orge.
“Lewis’ strategy is to remove distractions and leave time for do🌸wntiꦦme.
“Even with Valtteri Bottas, Lewis took a relaxed approach to the start of seasons. He lets things unfold and, eventually when he see♑s an opportunity, he steps on ꦕthe gas and disappears into the distance.”
Hill insists that Hamilton and Russell’s relationship brings back memories from the past: “Niki Lauda had Alain Prost arrive. When the older, experienced driver is faced by the speed of a young arrival, they can get depr🌳essed about it or devote their energy to making sure the outcome in the race is the thing that matters.
“They may give up a bit 🌃in qualifying. In their late-30s they can no longer do 🔯those transcendental laps. They focus on the laps.
“ღI remember, for example, I tested a motorbike at 2🃏0 years old. I flew round the track.
“As you get ♉older, maybe you’ve had crashes, your brain says: ‘I need to be more circumspect꧂’.
“George is s🌊uper quick and is revelling in the early p♒art of his career.
“I don’t know if Lewis has acknowledged that he can’t♔ ma𓄧tch that. I’m sure he will do, eventually.
“It’s possible that the instinctive, unconscious sౠpeed has st💃arted to leave him.”
But Hill insists that Hamilton, who🐻 is out of contract at t𓄧he end of this season but still harbours hopes of winning an all-time record eighth F1 championship, can still fight at the front.
“Theಌse guys don’t lose🍸 what they know how to do,” Hill said. “The days are rarer, harder to conjure up.
“The young guys flare up quickly but can be errati𒁏c. Occasionally George does something rash.
“He’s had those impatient moments. But he⛄’s much more reliable, less prone to crashes or mistakes than man🔯y of them.”
James was a sports journalist at 💫Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
