"The best of Lewis Hamilton comes out when his back is against the wall"

Lewis Hamilton arrives in Saudi Arabia as the winner of the last two races and so has the momentum on his side. According to Will Buxton and Lawrence Barretto, we are seeing the best version of Hamilton under this pressure.

Hamilton in top form

The title fight goes back and forth continuously this year. Hamilton and Max Verstappen have both had moments where it looked like they were going to run away with the title, but two races before the end they are still close to each other. In the Weekend Warm-Up Buxton and Barretto discuss the impact the title fight has had on Hamilton.

''We come off the back of a triple-header that has seen the pendulum swing very much in favour of Hamilton and Mercedes. Toto Wolff saying that he (Hamilton) has superpowers when his back is against the wall as it has been in the past two races. He has looked in incredible form," Buxton said.

Pressure from Verstappen

''The very best of Lewis comes out when his back is against the wall. We saw that in Brazil, but to some extent in Qatar as well. What impressed me this weekend is how calm he is. He says he's the most relaxed he's ever been, even allowing himself to say this would be his most significant title win," Barretto complements his colleague.

''We know Lewis doesn't compare title wins, so that shows how intense this championship has been for him. I also saw a sparkle in his eye. Maybe two races ago he might have thought it was a bit of stretch, but I think he now feels he's got this one," concludes the Formula1.com journalist.