Lose in Sochi and Lewis is up against it
RUSSIA marks the home race for moneybags tailender Nikita Mazepin and yesterday the Haas team confirmed he will continue for another season alongside Mick Schumacher. This rules out an Alfa Romeo move for the young German in 2022.
LEWIS HAMILTON cannot afford to lose this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix. He may only be five points behind Max Verstappen in the championship, and there are up to eight races still to go, but Sochi is a Mercedes-Benz speciality. No other team have ever won here and if they fail to continue this clean sweep it suggests the winds of change are upon us.
Hamilton has stood on the top step in Sochi on four occasions, while his teammates have won three times. Valtteri Bottas has come out and said he will support Lewis and move over if he is ordered to. Mercedes are currently 18 points ahead of Red Bull Racing.
Verstappen will be at the disadvantage of starting three places behind where he qualifies, as the stewards judged him to be ‘predominantly’ to blame for the accident that put him and Lewis out of the Italian GP a fortnight ago. That clash still stings on both sides.
Hamilton has needled his rival by suggesting the pressure might be getting to the Dutchman, who has never contested an F1 title bout before.
‘Obviously he won’t admit to it, and I’m not going to make an assumption, but I remember what it was like when I had my first [title battle, in 2007] and it definitely mounted up,’ said the seven-times world champion.
‘It was difficult, intense. I was going through a lot of different emotions and didn’t always handle it the best. That’s to be expected. There’s a lot of self-expectation and pressure, because the desire to win is huge. So I empathise.’
Max responded: ‘It just shows he really doesn’t know me, which is fine. I also don’t need to know him. I just focus on myself and really enjoy it out in front.’
The 23-year-old is adamant he is ‘very chilled’, initially joking: ‘I’m so nervous I can barely sleep! It’s so horrible to fight for the title, I really hate it! No, I think I’m very relaxed about all those things and I really can’t be bothered. It’s the best feeling ever to have a great car where you go into every weekend and you can fight for the win.’
Hamilton (pictured) added: ‘ We all have to be smart and know there is a time where you’re not going to make a corner. And it’s all about making sure you live to fight the next corner.
‘And it’s really kind of just through experience you find that balance and you know it’s not all won on one corner. As I said, I know what it’s like having to fight for your first championship and [control] your eagerness.’
The Briton also brushed off comments from Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko that he exaggerated the neck pain he suffered at Monza when Verstappen’s right rear wheel struck his helmet, an incident which could have been very serious were it not for the halo cockpit protection.
‘I don’t really listen to what these individuals talk about,’ said Hamilton. ‘It’s natural when a car lands on your head you’re going to have some sort of discomfort. I didn’t say I was dying.’
Verstappen pointed to Hamilton’s headline-grabbing turn at New York’s Met Ball last week as proof the fashionista was 100 per cent okay. ‘Flying on Monday or Tuesday to America to attend a gala, I think you only do that if you feel fine,’ he claimed.
It is not just their speed and unyielding desire to clinch the honours, it’s the fact Verstappen and Hamilton are such totally different characters that makes this rivalry one to savour. Those Nomex gloves are off and they’re not
going back on.