Lewis Hamilton’s Performance
Excitement Despite Second Place Lewis Hamilton secured second place in the US Grand Prix. His race engineer, Pete Bonnington, expressed enthusiasm.
Significant Second Place Although second place is not typically a cause for celebration for a driver and team with over 80 Formula One wins since 2013, Lewis Hamilton performance in Austin was noteworthy.
A Close Battle with Max Verstappen Hamilton’s pursuit of Max Verstappen ended in a 2.2-second loss. Verstappen secured his fifteenth Grand Prix win of the season, marking his 50th career victory.
Disqualification Drama However, Hamilton’s impressive performance was marred when his car failed a post-race technical inspection. The underbody panel was thinner than the required 9mm minimum thickness, leading to his disqualification. Charles Leclerc faced a similar violation, resulting in the loss of his sixth-place finish.
Positive Signs of Improvement
A Strong Showing in Austin Hamilton’s performance in Austin marked a turning point in his and Mercedes‘ season, showcasing the speed and competitiveness required for victory.
Challenges and Progress in 2023
Reflecting on the Season While 2023 hadn’t been a terrible year, it fell short of Mercedes’ expectations. The disappointment from 2022 motivated Mercedes to address issues with the car.
Striving for Improvement Despite multiple upgrades throughout the year, Austin was the first weekend where Hamilton experienced the benefits of these improvements. He acknowledged the hard work of the team at the factory.
Crucial Pit Strategy Decision
Strategic Decisions Unfold Hamilton’s exclusion from second place raised questions about the pit strategy. Pitting at the same time as Norris might have kept him ahead of Verstappen.
Missed Opportunities A different pit strategy set up a late charge on medium tires but fell short of catching Verstappen.
Finding Silver Linings
Learning from Adversity The disqualification was a setback for Hamilton and Mercedes, with no extraordinary circumstances to contest the decision. The team attributed the underbody panel wear to the uneven track and limited time for inspection.
Long-Term Goals and Optimism Despite the disqualification’s cost in valuable points, Hamilton and Mercedes remain focused on their long-term goals, with hopes of regaining their championship-winning form and achieving victory by the end of 2023.
[…] […]