Hamilton praises Verstappen's car: "That Red Bull is almost unbeatable"

Lewis Hamilton has known many dominant years with Mercedes. In the 2022 Formula One season, it is the turn of Max Verstappen, who seems unstoppable with five wins in a row. However, Hamilton is not so much in awe of the driver as he is of the car he drives.

Hamilton calls Red Bull unbeatable

Mercedes repeatedly expressed its hope of a victory in 2022, but Hamilton is now not so sure. "We have to be realistic - that Red Bull is almost unbeatable. It's going to take some real doing to beat that car. Performance-wise they are fully ahead of everyone," he is quoted by The Mirror.

He adds that victory is not out of the question but it will require a good dose of luck. "We haven't caught them and we don’t have upgrades coming to overtake them. Not impossible, because we could potentially have beaten them in Zandvoort, maybe could have beaten them in Budapest," he continued. Yet Hamilton suspects Red Bull Racing may not even have made the most of the opportunity, as he generally sees Verstappen chilling out at the front.

While the dominance he enjoyed during Mercedes' golden years seems further away than ever, Hamilton is now experiencing what it's like to work his way through the field and battle with the competitive midfield. The Mercedes driver stressed that he enjoys it much more when he has to pull out all the stops to score good points. "It is a thousand times more enjoyable, battling with people. Having those battles is way more fun than starting first," Hamilton said.