Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is fearful of getting his hands on an unwanted record.
The British megastar sits on the brink of going an entire season without registering a win, something he hasn’t done in his previous 15 years.
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Unfortunately Hamilton’s Mercedes has been off the pace as Red Bull and Max Verstappen – who Hamilton says is “almost unbeatable – show each race weekend how far in front they are. It means Hamilton is staring down the barrel of not recording a win.
“We have to be realistic. That Red Bull is almost unbeatable. It’s going to take some real doing to beat that car,” Hamilton said.
“Performance-wise we have not caught them, and we don’t have upgrades coming to enable us to overtake them. So it’s going to take some fortune going our way to win.
“It’s not impossible, because we could have beaten them in Budapest.
“But Max is generally chilled at the front, so you can never tell their true pace.”
Verstappen is in scintillating form and has won the last five races.
Hamilton looked almost set to secure a 2022 victory during the Dutch Grand Prix after Mercedes put on a tactical masterclass.
Unfortunately safety cars ruined their master plan and left Hamilton languishing and falling to fourth spot across the line.
Verstappen’s win at the Italian Grand Prix had F1 fans up in arms after it finished behind the safety car and brought back memories of the 2021 finale that saw a safety car give him the advantage to jump Hamilton and claim his first world title.
Now he can clinch his second straight crown at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Dutchman needs to win and take the bonus point for the fastest lap – plus see Leclerc is no higher than eighth, and teammate Sergio Perez out of the top three.
Verstappen says his phenomenal season is like his final year in go-karts in 2013 when he won the world and European karting titles.
“It is very different in terms of feelings. At that moment, Formula One is your goal,” he said.
“Of course, you enjoy what you achieve, but you also think that there is still a long way to go so it feels different.
“But the last year in karting was also beautiful.”
