Max Verstappen and Red Bull are the most significant roadblocks to Lewis Hamilton in F1 right now, but Johnny Herbert thinks he has another problem much closer to home
Lewis Hamilton may have more than just Max Verstappen to overcome to achieve the eighth Formula 1 title he so desperately craves.
Red Bull are dominating the sport right now. And Verstappen blew away another swathe of single-season records on the way to his third consecutive title this year – his simplest championships success to date.
Hamilton has been eliminated from the race since Mercedes is unable to compete on the track. However, Johnny Herbert believes the seven-time champion will face another challenge even if his team gives him the vehicle he requires in the upcoming two years.
That might come from teammate George Russell, according to the former Sky Sports F1 pundit. Although he lost to Hamilton in their first year together, the younger Brit has struggled in his second season with Mercedes.
Furthermore, Herbert has forewarned Hamilton that Russell’s ascent may dash his dreams of topping the Formula One standings once more. “Yes, absolutely, I still think Mercedes has enough intelligent people working there to build a car that can win races and a world championship,” he said at Genting Casino.
“George might be the one who makes things difficult if they obtain those ingredients all at once. Because I believe George is more than capable of leading a team, I believe he will likely be the one to let it slip away.
“He possesses the mental toughness and resolve to handle all the pressures that come with winning races and getting closer to a world championship. Therefore, Lewis, I believe he has the potential to be the one to stop that eighth, but overall, I believe he still has the drive.”
The truth is that until Mercedes makes major improvements to the performance of their cars, neither of them can realistically hope to compete with Verstappen and Red Bull. Hamilton is convinced that his team is finally making progress, even though he is not optimistic about a title fight in 2024.
“At the beginning of the year, we didn’t necessarily have a North Star, knowing exactly where we needed to work towards,” he stated. We’ve been traveling in a kind of zigzag fashion to get to our destination. Occasionally, something good occurs, and you think, “That’s it.” Then it moves, which is normal because the goalposts are constantly changing.
“I think we finally have a North Star, something we haven’t had for the past two years. Even though our paths are so very different, I believe that we now have a much better understanding of the car. Great tools that we have developed in the background. Naturally, I’m optimistic. I won’t, however, hold my breath.”
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