Hamilton: Red Bull faster than Mercedes have ever been

2 months ago 48

Lewis Hamilton was near frustrated arsenic Mercedes remained disconnected the gait of Red Bull astatine the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix; Sergio Perez led a one-two from Max Verstappen arsenic Hamilton finished 5th down team-mate George Russell

Last Updated: 20/03/23 6:03am

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Max Verstappen breezes past Lewis Hamilton to instrumentality P8 astatine the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull's 2023 vantage implicit the remainder of the Formula 1 tract is greater than thing Mercedes managed during their streak of 8 successive constructors' championships.

Hamilton finished 5th successful Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix arsenic Mercedes remained good disconnected the gait of Red Bull, who secured a 2nd one-two successful arsenic galore races this season.

Sergio Perez won from rod presumption successful Jeddah, but reigning satellite champion Max Verstappen's effortless beforehand done the tract from 15th connected the grid - pursuing a method nonaccomplishment successful Qualifying - provided further grounds of Red Bull's stunning pace.

"I person decidedly ne'er seen a car truthful fast," said Hamilton, who claimed six of his 7 satellite championships during Mercedes streak of constructors' titles betwixt 2014 and 2021.

"When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I person seen, particularly compared to the rest.

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Highlights of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix astatine Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

"I don't cognize how, but helium [Verstappen] came past maine with immoderate superior velocity and I didn't adjacent fuss to artifact him due to the fact that determination was a monolithic velocity difference.

"Everyone wants to spot a adjacent battle, but it is the mode it is. It is not my problem, it is not my fault."

Hamilton chopped a despondent fig aft qualifying much than 3 tenths - and 4 places - down his team-mate George Russell, but was capable to summation 2 places successful the contention to decorativeness straight down the different Mercedes and successful beforehand of some Ferraris.

While Hamilton said determination were "positives" to instrumentality from his Sunday, the 38-year-old remained frustrated by his team's shortage to Red Bull and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who took the last spot connected the podium for a 2nd successive race.

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell acknowledged Red Bull are the wide frontrunners aft finishing 5th and 3rd respectively.

"(We are) inactive a long, agelong mode disconnected Red Bull," Hamilton said. "(It's) decidedly unusual to spot that Ferrari are down america and it's affirmative for us.

"It's a antithetic aboveground present and we don't truly recognize wherefore connected this aboveground our car works 1 mode and antithetic connected another.

"It volition beryllium up and down done the archetypal 3 races. Hopefully we tin get immoderate upgrades ASAP and effort to adjacent that spread to the Astons."

Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player

Red Bull operator Max Verstappen was pleased capable to decorativeness 2nd aft starting successful 15th astatine the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who finished down Russell past play successful his younger team-mate's archetypal twelvemonth with Mercedes, suggested his shortage successful Saudi Arabia was caused by a "50-50" acceptable up prime that went against him.

"The strategy didn't truly enactment retired for me, the acceptable up was a small spot disconnected - if I had the acceptable up George had, I would person been successful a amended position," Hamilton said.

"There was a 50-50 choice, I chose 1 mode and helium chose the other, and much often than not, the mode helium went was the incorrect 1 but it conscionable happened to work.

"I could lone lucifer his gait alternatively than beryllium quicker this weekend, but I'll enactment hard to marque definite we're successful a amended presumption adjacent time."

source