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

09:18, 03 Dec 2021
9 Comments
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

ADVERTISEMENT
''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.
loading
Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Upcoming race
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
Sat 02:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
Sun 05:00 AM

Loading