Palmer praises Hamilton: 'He's had a fantastic season'

Lewis Hamilton has not managed to win a Grand Prix for almost two years, but the seven-time world champion could well end the 2023 season second in the final standings. With five races to go, the Mercedes driver is 30 points behind Sergio Perez, who appears to be in a form crisis. That Hamilton is so close to the Mexican with his excellent Red Bull earns him nothing but praise from his compatriot and ex-F1 driver Jolyon Palmer.

Only Ferrari managed to beat Red Bull Racing this season, although for now it was only that one time in Singapore. That Hamilton is nevertheless so high in the standings is mainly due to his consistency. Virtually every race this season the Briton has managed to maximise, although of course his crash in Qatar was the exception to those words.

Palmer: 'Second place would be remarkable'

Still, the former champion has now accumulated enough points to have Perez breathing down his neck. "Hamilton has had a superb season this year and could yet clinch second which would be remarkable and prove he's still got it when he has the car underneath him," Palmer told Formula One's official website.

This season, the two championships have already been given away to Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing. Mercedes is on course to finish second among constructors, though at a street length behind the Austrian team. Whether the difference is 2024 between Red Bull and Mercedes will be smaller, Palmer dares not say. When the former Renault driver - now an analyst - gives a glimpse into next year, he is mostly left with question marks.

"Hopefully plenty of different teams can challenge. McLaren's trajectory clearly marks them out as potential rivals for 2024 and I think they've got a serious driver lineup who would revel in the opportunity," Palmer said. "But can Mercedes leap forward enough with a new car concept? Hopefully, Ferrari can mount a challenge as well. The challenge may come from a number of areas, but the bigger question is can anyone topple this dominant pairing next year? Without a major rule change it'll be immensely difficult."