Two weeks ago, Lewis Hamilton threw away a surefire victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Apparently he accidentally pressed a “magic button” causing him to go off the track and lose his lead. Although the good news for the team was that they seemed to have found a temporary fix, Hamilton now worries that he actually won’t be able to click the button.
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Regarding the fix, team boss Toto Wolff said to Sky Sports F1 after FP2: “Just a small cover over the button, so easy. Now we need to figure out how to actually hit the brake. Right now he is [Hamilton] is not entirely satisfied with how to reach the button. “
Watch Story: Hamilton’s early karting career
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So far, Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas have been reasonably competitive in training. The Mercedes duo was at the forefront with the Red Bulls in FP1 and FP2. The outfit will be eager for redemption after two bad races in a row. In Monaco they had to give up the lead in the drivers’ championship, in Baku they lost the constructors lead.
Can Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton recover?
In theory, Hamilton can try to regain his World Cup lead. Circuit Paul Ricard is also a track where he has performed well, taking two wins in 2018 and 2019. In the meantime, team-mate Bottas is eager to get going, especially after his most recent fights.
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Formula 1 F1 – French Grand Prix – Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France – June 18, 2021 Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes during practice REUTERS / Eric Gaillard
It doesn’t help that his future at Mercedes is also being questioned. As it turns out, the German giants are caught between binding him or recruiting George Russell. Speaking of Russell, rumors are growing that he’s approaching his Mercedes seat in 2022.
At the moment, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas can only concentrate on the current season. Hamilton is on the hunt for a record-breaking 8th Formula 1 World Championship. In the meantime, he and Bottas are striving to lead their team to the design engineer title as well.
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