EIGHT WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR, SAYS LEW
BY PHIL DUNCAN
LEWIS HAMILTON wrote off winning a record eighth F1 title this season after another day to forget ahead of today’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Hamilton (below) was 14th in yesterday’s sprint race, crossing the line an eye-watering 41.4 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen after just 21 laps at Imola.
World champion Verstappen passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the penultimate lap to secure pole position.
But it was Hamilton who endured another woeful afternoon in his desperately uncompetitive Mercedes.
The British driver started 13th before dropping two places on the opening lap.
Hamilton regained one spot when he passed Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. But, after failing to score, he is already 50 points behind Leclerc in the championship standings - the equivalent of two victories.
And with yesterday’s result deciding the grid for the main event, Hamilton faces losing even further ground in the title race.
“We are obviously not fighting for the championship,” said Hamilton.
“We are fighting to understand the car, improve and progress through the year.
“That’s all we can hope
Sky Sports F1, Today, 2pm for now. Ultimately we haven’t got it right, but everyone’s working as hard as they can to reverse it.”
Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell started and finished 11th, a day after both Mercedes cars failed to qualify in the top 10 for the first time in a
decade.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said: “Points on Sunday should be the minimum, but that is
not where we set our expectations.
“This weekend is a
complete write-off and, beyond the fact that we are learning, it’s another humbling experience.”
In Mercedes’ absence at the front, Ferrari and Red Bull are the class of the 2022 field, with Leclerc and Verstappen trading blows for the fourth round in a row.
Sergio Perez finished third in the other Red Bull.