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Lewis Hamilton has finished his seventh world championship, but it makes no sense that he is taking his foot off the gas. With this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of the last three races of the season, the world champion seems determined to close it out with the relentless dominance that sealed his position as the most successful driver in Formula One history. .
Hamilton took the title with a remarkable victory in the final round in Turkey, equaling Michael Schumacher’s record and ensuring that Mercedes posted a seventh consecutive double in the drivers ‘and constructors’ championship. So a moment to relax might be forgivable, actually expected.
Hamilton, who has won 10 of 14 races this season, said he wanted to finish with the same style that has left his rivals reeling. He stressed that there was no lack of motivation.
“It is in my DNA. This is how I am connected. I love that challenge, ”he said. “To get to another race where the pressure is different and the focus is on getting the best out of this weekend.”
The 35-year-old has yet to sign a new contract with Mercedes for next year, and it appears that he and the team have decided that they will negotiate when the season ends. Hamilton said after taking the title that he had wanted to ensure he was in the strongest position possible when those talks began, and he will be more than aware that closing with three more wins would ensure an even stronger hand.
However, there was an even more sinister suggestion in Bahrain, as Hamilton said these dead tires were an opportunity for the team to take advantage of all the advantages it can in the upcoming season. Mercedes stopped developing this year’s car some time ago to switch to the 2021 model, and Hamilton explained how these final meetings could further refine an already terrifyingly strong ride.
“How can we extract more, learn more, use them as test races, so that we can apply what we learned this year to next year’s car,” he said. “We have work to do, we have gradual improvements to work on. At every opportunity we get to be on the right track, we still have challenges and we are learning and developing. “
He and Mercedes have the titles secured, but Max Verstappen can still challenge Valtteri Bottas for second place in the drivers’ title, 27 points behind the Finn. His Red Bull team is second in the sealed constructors’ championship, but behind them what has been a fiercely competitive fight looks likely to be ruined. Racing Point leads the group with 154 points ahead of McLaren, Renault and Ferrari, who are all 24 points behind.
Hamilton and Bottas led a Mercedes double in the first practice that took place during the day, and in the much more representative night session of FP2, Hamilton was once again the fastest, with Verstappen three tenths down in second and Bottas third . There was a severe blow to the British-Thai pilot Alex Albon, who swerved, turned and crashed. Albon is driving for his place at Red Bull next season and under real pressure with Sergio Perez in the frame to replace him. The error of judgment will not have helped your cause.
