Lewis Hamilton believes that Max Verstappen experienced a remarkably relaxed 2023 F1 season, asserting that the three-time World Champion was effortlessly leading the races. Hamilton openly admitted to reviewing Verstappen’s data for the year, revealing a concerning ease in the Dutch driver’s dominance at the front.
Verstappen clinched the 2023 Drivers’ Championship with remarkable ease, securing victories in 19 out of 22 completed races. This not only shattered the previous record for most wins in a season, which Verstappen himself had broken in 2022, but also set new benchmarks for most points in a season (575) and most consecutive wins (10).
To illustrate Verstappen’s dominance, even if his points alone were considered, Red Bull would have still won the Constructors’ Championship by 166 points. Throughout the season, Hamilton struggled to challenge Verstappen, with his best opportunity for victory coming at the United States Grand Prix.
Despite a strong performance in Austin, Hamilton was disqualified, and analysis of Verstappen’s data revealed that the Red Bull driver wasn’t exerting much effort. Verstappen maintained complete control without pushing the RB19 to its limits, leaving Hamilton to acknowledge the impressive accomplishment of being in such a position.
Team principals summoned amid ‘Gogglegate’ https://t.co/VRhHuvvOjJ
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Hamilton recognizes that Verstappen and Red Bull deserved their success in 2023, attributing it to the team’s outstanding performance. According to Hamilton, Verstappen often found himself “chilling at the front,” not breaking a sweat throughout the season. Hamilton further commended Red Bull’s work, describing their achievement as “amazing” and acknowledging the team’s well-deserved victory.