22/05/2023
NEWS STORY
Lewis Hamilton has expressed his 'fear' that Max Verstappen and Red Bull could continue to dominate the sport until the next rules overhaul in 2026.
Though there were no such expressions of concern during Mercedes 8-year reign, the seven-time world champion has now joined his teammate in expressing his fear that continued domination by Red Bull could prove damaging for the sport.
Previously, teammate George Russell has been Mercedes main mouthpiece as Red Bull appears to be cruising towards its third successive drivers' title.
Speaking last month, the youngster expressed fears that Red Bull was yet to show its true pace.
"For sure they're holding back," he told the BBC's Chequered Flag podcast. "They're almost embarrassed to show their full potential because the faster they seem globally the more the sport is going to try and hold them back somehow.
"Realistically they probably have seventh-tenths advantage over the field," he added. "Max has no reason to be pushing it, nor has Red Bull. They've done a really great job, to be fair to them, can't take anything away. We clearly have to up our game."
Amidst fears that the sport might somehow seek to 'nobble' the world champions, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali has said that this will not be the case, however Hamilton believes the sport will suffer if the current domination continues for the next couple of seasons.
"It's good that we're trying new things," he said, "I think it's important that we continue to move forward and evolve.
"The technology has evolved," he continued. “It's just unfortunate we still see the same sort of gaps between teams.
"I don't know what the solution is for the future," he admitted, "but I think we're going to have to continue to adapt these regulations moving forwards otherwise it could be the same as it is now for years, until 2026. If we don't do a better job, which we're working on doing."
While Mercedes has effectively cured the porpoising issue that plagued the team last season, its insistence on sticking with the zero-pod philosophy has left it on the back foot this year.
A much-anticipated upgrade was scheduled for this weekend's race at Imola but this will now be held over until Monaco, though the real effectiveness (or not) of it won't become clear until Barcelona at the earliest.
However, looking ahead, Hamilton is hoping that the rules overhaul will see a return to, among other things, lighter cars.
"I like the cars without the bouncing," he admitted. “They're a little bit heavy, I wouldn't say making the cars heavy is a good idea. That's about it."