Formula 1: How Can Lewis Hamilton Break Through the Wall of Papaya and Challenge Max Verstappen?

Formula 1: How Can Lewis Hamilton Break Through the Wall of Papaya and Challenge Max Verstappen?

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

It seems like Mercedes’ and Lewis Hamilton’s nightmares are really coming to reality ever since the 2021 Formula 1 season re-started after the summer break. Having made a two-millimetre misjudgement with his clutch during the start of the Sprint Qualifying at Monza, the seven-time world champion slipped three positions. Having being overtaken by both McLaren’s and Max Verstappen, Hamilton is going to start the race on Sunday from P4 in order to challenge his rival for a win. 

Entering the race of Sunday, unless Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo decide to let Lewis Hamilton through in order to ensure a strong finish for the team and bank useful points haul over championship rivals Ferrari, then the Mercedes ace faces a wall of papaya between himself and the Red Bull he must beat. 

Will Lewis Hamilton be able to ‘Hunt’ down Max Verstappen? 

Max Verstappen on Lando Norris
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris

Saturday’s sprint qualifying only display that Monza is not kind to anyone trying to overtake. Although tyre degradation in the race may offer more opportunities, Norris and Ricciardo didn’t seem to be suffering badly with pace after eighteen laps on soft tyres. Interestingly, that is something that Red Bull team principal commented on after the session, saying the McLarens had proven that soft starting tyres could be a good strategy. 

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Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton

However cars run with about a third of the fuel they would be loaded with for full grand prix, during the shorter sprint session. That particularly flatters the McLaren, which comes alive as fuel burns off and which has made their race starts considerably less impressive on pace, compared to the front-runners. 

Having said that, after the sprint qualifying, the whole dynamic of the Italian Grand Prix has changed and it looks like Max Verstappen to be the clear-cut winner. If Hamilton is to challenge Verstappen, then he is surely going to pull off something exceptional out of his bag of trickery.

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