16 June 2023 , 20:14
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Lewis Hamilton thinks he has to take more risks than Max Verstappen as he compared his current Formula 1 situation to that of his old title rival.
Back in 2021, they were head and shoulders above anyone else on the grid. But, since then, F1 fans have been denied any more title battles between them with Mercedes struggling for performance.
They have been playing catch up ever since. But the gap to Red Bull, who romped to the 2022 title and look even more dominant this year, still looks to be significant.
Verstappen has been in the enviable position of having the quickest car on the grid with only team-mate Sergio Perez able to challenge him. Hamilton, meanwhile has had to fight for every point available.
While doing that and working to help his team to develop the W14, Hamilton spoke about the hard work he has had to put in. "Once you get on top of the car and the car works in this window, and it's consistent, it's much easier to get it into that setup," he said.
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"When you are with a car like I have, for example, you're trying everything, every different setup and combination to try and eke out a little bit more performance. But when you have performance in hand, you are not necessarily always having to make risky choices throughout practice in order to get that extra half a tenth.
"You don't have to push the bodywork as tight as possible, put the engine on the rim of the temperature because you have a little bit of breathing space. Then you don't have to push the tyres as hard, so you can lift and coast a little bit more, which ultimately means longer stints.
The 2023 season has been plain sailing for Max Verstappen so far (Hasan Bratic/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)"All these different things compound and the more you practice it, the easier it gets. But you still have a job to deliver, you still have to be focused and still can't make mistakes, still have to make the right decisions and that comes with a lot of pressure."
But as much as he would prefer to be in Verstappen's shoes, Hamilton admits he has been enjoying the challenge. He added: "For me, it was easy just to stay focused on the job in hand and focus on the things I can control and making sure the team is consistently pushing forward.
"I never got tired of it or comfortable. It's a great feeling when you know you have got a car you can compete with. From our perspective, we know we are not fighting for a win, so it's arriving hopeful that you can find a little bit of magic in the weekend. Every small decision, every position that you get in qualifying makes that difference and I would say I've been enjoying this more, for the short term."