Lewis Hamilton has 'never seen a car as fast' as the RB19

Lewis Hamilton is taken aback. The one who was his rival on equal terms in 2021 now greatly outperforms the rest of the grid, in a car ou Max Verstappen seems untouchable. And for good reason, the Red Bull dominated the first two rounds of the season without ever being worried, offering themselves two doubles in quick succession. Even an alert on the mechanics of the Dutchman's gearbox, making him start 15th on the starting grid in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), could do nothing to give hope to the rest of the drivers... and in particular the seven-time champion of the world : " I've never seen a car so fast », he declared at the end of a race where he finished 5th. When the driver and his RB19 No. 1 began an ascent as serene as it was rapid, Hamilton was struggling with a Mercedes which he has been complaining about for over a season now. “ I don't know how, but he passed me with such speed, and I didn't even try to defend myself because the difference in speed was too great “, he says.

However, this is not the first time that the scenario of such clear domination has occurred in Formula 1. The last concerned being precisely Hamilton who, in recent years, was at the helm of a championship which he won continuously from 2017 to 2020... So much so that, like today, the title race seemed won even before having begin. “ We were fast, but not that fast, argues Hamilton. It's truly the fastest car I've seen, especially compared to the rest. »

And to add: " Everyone wants a close battle, but it is what it is. It's not my problem, it's not my fault. » A close battle of which the Briton has nevertheless deprived us on multiple occasions in his career: the record for the number of points won in a season in 2018, finishing first in 19 races out of 21 in 2019, 103 victories for as many poles since his beginnings… His supremacy ended during the last tight season in the premier category, where Hamilton and Verstappen separated in the last corner, of the last lap, of the last Grand Prix.

A scenario which will probably not happen in 2023, the Dutchman knowing no rival at the start of the season. But Mercedes intends to change its philosophy during this campaign to, perhaps, become the fastest car Lewis has ever seen in the coming years.

ALSO READ > The future Mercedes, a copy of Red Bull? “I will have no shame if it is fast” replies Wolff