Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton has been forced to deal with a “difficult car” in recent races as the 2022 F1 season draws to its conclusion. The Brit’s disappointing season continued as he finished ninth in Singapore last weekend, keeping him in sixth in the overall drivers’ standings, with under half of Max Verstappen’s leading points tally.
Hamilton admitted he had come away from Singapore disappointed after a string of errors alongside a lock-up into Turn 7. And former F1 driver Brundle has his suspicions on Mercedes’ struggles, with plans already in place going into the 2023 season.
In his latest column for Sky Sports, Brundle wrote: “When I was out on track during practice it was clear that despite lapping quickly the two Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were working harder at the wheel, not least compared to the relative magic – carpet ride of the Ferrari.
“Lewis has had a bit of bother in combat in more recent races which is likely indicative of a difficult car. They’ll be pleased to see the back of this one.”
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There are five races remaining in the F1 calendar with Verstappen closing in on back-to-back titles, although he was made to wait in Singapore.
There had been murmurs that the FIA could strip Verstappen of the 2021 title after reports emerged that Red Bull had allegedly breached the budget cap last year.
The Dutchman pipped Hamilton in dramatic circumstances in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. However, it has been reported since that Red Bull had allegedly only committed a minor breach of the spending cap.
