“Being beaten by Max must have hurt him!” Jacques Villeneuve has doubts over Lewis Hamilton’s F1 return
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Lewis and Max
After the controversial end to the 2021 Grand Prix, the absence of Lewis Hamilton from social media had put a lot of doubts in the minds of many. The rumours regarding the imminent retirement of the 7-time world champion were thriving Hamilton posted his infamous “I am back” post on his handles.
On lap 56 of the race, during which Hamilton was leading, Race Director Michael Masi allowed only the five cars directly in front of championship contender Max Verstappen to unlap themselves before the restart. On the final lap of the race, Verstappen overtook Hamilton on fresher tyres and won the 2021 World Drivers’ Championship which has spurred a debate amongst the fans.
But 1997 Formula one World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has doubts on how Lewis Hamilton will mentally approach the 2022 F1 season after losing the World Championship to Max Verstappen in controversial circumstances. The Canadian believes the duo will resume the rivalries in the new season ahead.
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Jacques Villeneuve: “Lewis Hamilton has an advantage”
In a recent interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport Villeneuve was asked about his opinion on who will come out on top in the 2022 Formula One season. With new technical regulations, the battle between Mercedes and Red Bull would also take a new turn.
“Lewis was beaten by Max and that must have hurt him. Verstappen never gave up and always performed at the top of his game. Hamilton knows that. The psychological blow of having your championship taken away from you is tough, too. So who knows how Hamilton will return. Is he tired of it or is he even more determined?” commented Villeneuve.
“The strongest strength Mercedes have is the engine,” the 1997 World Champion said. “It was also stronger than the Honda engine last year, and the new rules don’t really change anything in that area. Therefore they keep the advantage on that part. Lewis always knows how to adapt very quickly to new rules. What is certain is that under these circumstances, Adrian Newey [Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer] is the best, and so I expect a fight with Red Bull.”
The 2022 season will kick off on March 18th with the Bahrain Grand Prix. All eyes will be on Max and Lewis as the duo resume their rivalry. Max seeks to defend his maiden title while Lewis chases his 8th World Championship title, which would make him the driver with the most championship wins.
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Tejas Venkatesh
(366 Articles Published)