02 March 2023 , 17:39
1075
0
In the Bahrain paddock, all the talk is not about whether Red Bull – and, almost certainly, Max Verstappen rather than Sergio Perez – will win the opening Grand Prix of the season.
It is about the distance they will win it by. Some judges reckon Red Bull could be half a second per lap faster than their closest rivals. But whatever the level of their supremacy, 38-year-old Lewis Hamilton, starting his 17th season in Formula 1, will be undeterred.
The seven-time world champion still believes he can stand apart from his younger rivals on the grid. He said: "I love the challenge of finding solutions and I still believe I'm able to put the car in places that perhaps others are not able to.
"I love that challenge. I'm encouraged to see the focus – everyone is so focused on getting us back to the top. We are not where we wanted to start a season, naturally, but this is still a multi-championship winning team and a good group of people I believe in."
And he believes in Mercedes so much that he insists the new contract – subject of so much speculation in the F1 garages – is a formality. Hamilton said: "Of course I'd love to start the season with a great car but there is no hold-up with the contract.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
"I've always been very, very relaxed and I don't feel I have to get it done right this second. I'm in a very fortunate position. There will be a time when it will be signed. I've got a great relationship with Toto [Wolff] and Mercedes and we always support each other. I'm really excited about the future and really proud of the work we're doing on and off the track. We'll get there."
Hamilton spoke about his strong relationship with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff (PA)The work off the track includes equality and diversity campaigns spearheaded by Hamilton, who will continue to draw attention to human rights issues despite the FIA, the sport's governing body, saying drivers are forbidden from making political statements at the racetrack.
Hamilton said: "I have always felt we have a responsibility and if the sport is going to these countries [Bahrain and Saudi Arabia], we are duty-bound to raise awareness and try to leave a positive impact in these places. That view has not always been shared throughout the sport – whether it is teams or whether it is people in high-powered positions – but more needs to be done, without doubt."
And Hamilton will carry on campaigning for F1 to be more inclusive, saying: "I think my job and our job is to continue to highlight the positivity of it and importance of it. It might sound like a broken record, but that's what I've got to keep on doing – it's the fight I've got to keep on having."
Hamilton doesn't expect "very confident" Max Verstappen will slip up this year (Frank Augstein/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The one thing you can be guaranteed with Hamilton is that his fight off the track will not distract him from the fight on it. That fight will be daunting but at least his Mercedes car should stick to the tarmac this year.
He said: "I knew from when I had driven the car where we were and the challenges that we would be facing. On a positive note, not having the bouncing this year is a huge plus. Trying to understand what the problems were whilst having bouncing made it difficult. So now we can focus on just pure performance."
And Hamilton knows that performance will have to be ramped top dramatically if he is to claim a record-breaking eighth world drivers' title. He said: "I think Max will be very, very confident. I don't think he'll slip up. He's a world champion. I wouldn't question his determination or his focus. It's our job to catch up."