In the Formula One standings, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez are virtually tied. His primary objective for 2023 is different, though.
The fight for P2 in the standings has been discussed since the Monaco Grand Prix. At first, the driver of the Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso, was the closest to Perez in the standings. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are now within striking distance as the year has gone on.
This year, the seven-time world champion has only gotten better and better, growing more at ease in the W14. Hamilton is becoming more and more accustomed to winning podiums, especially with the latest Silver Arrows updates.
Mercedes has been working hard to get ready for the upcoming season. James Allison, the technical director, is spearheading efforts to take Red Bull on in the next generation of Formula One cars.
A floor update in COTA, which served as a stepping stone for 2024, showed signs of promise. Merecdes’ Austrian rivals are still at the top, but a strong winter of development can essentially erase the gap.
Hamilton establishes his priority
As ever, Lewis Hamilton is concerned with the big picture in F1. Whilst toppling Perez in the standings would be positive, he outlined other priorities post-race Mexico City:
“It’s mostly dependent on Checo’s weekends, really. They have the championship-winning car. He’s just been unfortunate, I think, in some scenarios.
“Obviously, I’ve lost quite a lot of points in the last two races, but he lost points today. So it’s swings and roundabouts.
“I think coming into the weekend, having lost points last week, I didn’t think I would be in shooting range. But after today, yeah, we’ll just give it our best shot.
“Honestly, it’s not going to make a big difference to my life – whether I come second or third.
“It’s more important to get the team second in the Constructors, and so that’s what I’m focused on. It’s a bonus if we get second in the Drivers.”
Red Bull and Max Verstappen have never lost a race, save for sporadic hiccups. Saturday’s qualifying session will see the Austrian team overcome, as they have five times in the last eight race weekends.
However, Red Bull continues to dominate the race pace, and this is their main advantage going into the holiday break. On Saturdays, Lewis Hamilton has occasionally questioned the dominance of the Austrian team.
Despite their post-race disqualification, the American GP was an encouraging one for the German outfit. Brazil’s Interlagos circuit is also a strong hunting ground for Mercedes, meaning this weekend could present more opportunity.
It is still true, though, that Toto Wolff needs to make sure his team makes a significant progress in the upcoming six months. Adrian Newey won’t likely stand still over the winter with the current significant deficit to Red Bull.
Mercedes needs to make progress comparable to what Aston Martin and McLaren have made since 2022.
Up until that point, Hamilton has the opportunity to unsettle Christian Horner’s squad and stop them from going 1-2 in the F1 Drivers rankings.
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