Karun Chandhok discovers why he has not won a race in 2022 and has been beaten by his teammate
As a seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton has not won a single race or taken a pole position. This is unusual for someone who is used to winning races. If 2021 ended badly for him, then 2022 has been even worse. There has been no trauma, but rather demotivation.
Mercedes did not get the car right. The W13 was not the destructive weapon Lewis wished for. The British driver could not avenge what happened at Yas Marina. He wasn’t with the leading group. Not just the Red Bulls, but also the Ferraris. It was clear that Stevenage was not even in the race.
As the season progressed, the Brackley outfit improved their machine. Hamilton finished with 240 points and nine podium finishes. Worse of all, his teammate won. George Russell finished ahead of the seven-time champion in the overall standings. He was fourth, while his compatriot finished sixth.
Chandhok has analyzed what happened on Sky Sports F1 and has found the key to Hamilton’s defeat by Russell. Since that turning point, Valtteri Bottas has dominated Hamilton.
Chandhok explained that Russell was regularly beating Lewis at the beginning of the season.
It was a bit of a wake-up call for George when Lewis improved mid-season. He must have thought, “Wow, I’ve woken the beast!””
In my opinion, Lewis wasn’t motivated, which I can totally understand. It reminded me of Senna in 1993. He’s the number one driver of his generation, but when the opening race begins, he realizes he won’t qualify on the third row. What motivates him in that situation?”
In Barcelona, he rose to the challenge. Little by little, he awoke from his lethargy, and by the end, he had recovered.”
Verstappen’s behavior towards Hamilton makes no sense.
Chandhok comments on the friction between Verstappen and Hamilton on track.
