Lewis Hamilton sent 2023 title verdict and warned of Mercedes issue

Lewis Hamilton reveals the Queen told him off at the Royal lunch

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Lewis Hamilton has been told his chances of upsetting Max Verstappen and claiming his eighth world title next season. The Red Bull driver won the 2022 title at a canter as he recorded back-to-back world championships, though he has been told that he will be pushed all the way by the Brit.

Former F1 driver Paul di Resta has insisted that Hamilton will be “up for” the fight against the Dutchman next season, but warned the 37-year-old that Mercedes still have issues to iron out. “You obviously go into these new eras of Formula 1 and these new regulations, Mercedes need to get on top of that,” Di Resta told Sky Sports.

“The dominance that Red Bull have had and certainly with Max has been absolutely incredible this year, for them to capitalise on that again, you would say definitely firm favourites by a long shot next year and the form that Max had carried on from last year, he is certainly showing us how incredible he is.

“Lewis is definitely up for the challenge, I was wary where he was going to be after the controversial end last year in Abu Dhabi, where he was going to be but you can certainly see that driving the car is the thing that he does best and what he loves doing.

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“For us watching this, I think it’s the most important thing for Formula 1 because I was wary where that battle went to see Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton for many more years, you put in a Charles Leclerc and a Lando Norris, it just makes Formula 1 a better place.”

Hamilton has failed to record a race win this season, and should he be unable to cross the chequered line first in the remaining three races this season he would go an entire season without a victory for the first time in his career. Di Resta believes that he has a chance of changing that at each track.

“I don’t see why they are all not chances given how close they came to that win last time out,” Di Resta added. “They have had glimpses this year of exactly where they are going to be, it seems that upgrade has brought them into it.

“I actually didn’t think Austin would be a track that brings them so close, I thought the efficiency of the Red Bull certainly in the first sector, and then how dominant it is on the straights, would make a huge impact.

“But Mercedes are closing up and they think their car is not good enough, what are they going to bring to the track next year? Lewis has definitely got some appetite to do that, he has got the three races and if they are talking up their chances you would like to hope that it will be a good battle.”

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