F1: Hamilton (already) no longer believes in the title

In the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain, Max Verstappen won easily. This first race was also an opportunity to gauge the forces at work, and we can't say that the Mercedes team has distinguished itself. On the contrary: the poor performance of the new car means that even Hamilton no longer seems to believe in a potential title.

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The 2023 Formula One season started with the Bahrain Grand Prix, where the reigning champion, Max Verstappen, took his first victory. At the top of his form and obviously with a technically superior car, you have to wonder who will be able to challenge Max Verstappen in 2023. The Red Bull star has shown a determination at the end of this first race, and he remains more than ever the great favorite. The reactions were obviously numerous, as were moments of anger too at the end of the race in Bahrain. Now’s the time for reflection, but also for confidences that are sometimes surprising.

For the other teams, the situation was sometimes badly received, especially in the Mercedes team, where Lewis Hamilton finished 5th because of the poor performance of his new car – already observed during the last winter tests. For a first Grand Prix, the pill is therefore difficult to swallow for the Dutchman's rivals. Some of them are so disheartened that they already have an idea of the outcome of the championship...

Hamilton defeated

Lewis Hamilton spoke about Max Verstappen's domination of the Bahrain GP in an interview with Next-Gen Auto. Hamilton thinks Verstappen "will be very confident this season. They [Red Bull] developed an incredible car last year, they smashed all the records in pretty much every race, and I don't even think they pushed at the end. They were always pretty far ahead."

Hamilton was quick to share his thoughts, including his thoughts on the rest of the F1 World Championship: "Max is not going to deviate from his trajectory. He's a world champion, so I wouldn't question his determination or his focus. I think he's going to be as focused as ever and it's up to us to catch up." Now there’s a terrible admission of helplessness! Following this Grand Prix, Hamilton did not hide his anger towards the Mercedes team. It remains to be seen how (and if) the team will be able to react and correct the mistakes of the beginning of the season.

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