 thereafter. The Briton excelled here last year having started the weekend at the back of the pack. Another sprint race beckons tomorrow, determining the grid for the main course, and though his 2022 Mercedes isn't a patch on last year's machine, one wouldn't bet against Lewis taking the fight to Max Verstappen on Sunday, who's out to win his 15th grand prix of the year. Hamilton finished second in Austin and Mexico City. That makes eight podiums this season, yet the top step eludes him. George Russell, his young upstart team-mate, is 15 points ahead and pride dictates the older statesman needs to trump him in the final two rounds. Lewis has only ever been beaten by a team-mate twice before, by Jenson Button in 2011 and Nico Rosberg during the German's championship-winning season in 2016. The Mercedes W13 has been described as a 'diva' and Lewis struggled with it more than George in the first half of the season. Russell, who has scored six third places and one second, has dropped off since Singapore. From Canada onwards, the seven-time champion has outscored his cocky accomplice. Verstappen has another 200 points on Hamilton's 216, with Red Bull's dubious PR approach — shutting out Sky TV for questioning their sportsmanship last year — doing nothing to blunt their undeniable dominance. 'He's won the most grands prix in a year now,' reminds team principal Christian Horner. 'He's won two sprint races, and not won them all from pole. He's had to fight for a lot of those wins. It's incredible the level of consistency he's able to achieve.' Charles Leclerc has nine poles to Verstappen's six. He looked a potential champion until he binned it at the French Grand Prix and says he gave up hope two races later in Belgium, where Max was first and he was si){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Lewis Hamilton has two more chances to end his winless season, and perhaps the best chance lies in Sao Paulo, the circuit at which he won his first world championship in 2008 and three Brazilian grands prix (2016, 2018, 2021) thereafter.
The Briton excelled here last year having started the weekend at the back of the pack. Another sprint race beckons tomorrow, determining the grid for the main course, and though his 2022 Mercedes isn’t a patch on last year’s machine, one wouldn’t bet against Lewis taking the fight to Max Verstappen on Sunday, who’s out to win his 15th grand prix of the year.
Hamilton finished second in Austin and Mexico City. That makes eight podiums this season, yet the top step eludes him. George Russell, his young upstart team-mate, is 15 points ahead and pride dictates the older statesman needs to trump him in the final two rounds.
Lewis has only ever been beaten by a team-mate twice before, by Jenson Button in 2011 and Nico Rosberg during the German’s championship-winning season in 2016.