Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has been the most dominant racer on the grid for a considerable period of time.
However, he often fails to get the credit he deserves owing to the fact that Mercedes has had such a huge advantage over others in terms of its engine.
McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has joined the queue of critics who claim that Hamilton is not the only guy who will win races in the Mercedes car.
“I think, where we can’t be too aggressive or disrespectful to Lewis, is that, do a few of us believe we could beat him? Yes. I’m quite sure of that,” Ricciardo said.
“But, none of us have ever been in the hunt for a title. None of us have dealt with that pressure. None of us have had that year after year.”
Hamilton is set to notch his eighth F1 world championship come the end of the season. This would undeniably make him the most successful driver to grace the sport. The Brit is currently tied on 7 with the legendary Michael Schumacher.
Ricciardo said Hamilton is almost expected to win all the time and paid credit to the fact that he managed to live up to these expectations more often than not.
“Pretty much every weekend he rocks up to a race. Yes, he has the best car. But he’s also expected to win all the time,” he said.
“And if he doesn’t, it’s, ‘OK, what happened to Lewis?‘”
Hamilton last failed to lift the championship when he was outdone by former teammate Nico Rosberg.
It finally seems like 4 years on, Hamilton has a new challenger on the block. A serious contender, if you may.
Regardless of whoever comes out on top, this could be one of the greatest seasons in recent history. What are you most looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments below!