Can Lewis Hamilton END winless drought in Azerbaijan?

Amar Mehta
Friday 28 April 2023 10:57

Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has surpassed a milestone that he probably didn’t want against his name.

The seven-time world champion has had an illustrious career, but he has struggled since the start of the 2022 season as Mercedes' period of dominance was ended by Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

Crippled with car issues and slow pace, Hamilton last topped the podium on December 5, 2021 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and his unique record of achieving at least one win every season was ended last term.

Things haven’t got much better for Mercedes this year, and his wait for a win has crept beyond Verstappen’s longest drought of 502 days.

The Dutchman's 'record' was set between his first win at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, and his second in Malaysia the following year.

Lewis Hamilton has now gone 5⃣0⃣3⃣ days without a race victory, which is longer than Max Verstappen's longest win drought in Formula 1.#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/qZvrtvZ8dp

— F1 StatsGuru (@f1statsguru) April 23, 2023

On April 23, Hamilton's wait extended beyond this mark, but can he end the drought in Baku?

The Brit has good memories of the track since it was added to the calendar in 2017.

He won there in 2018, and he has finished outside the top five just once – in 2021 when he had taken an early lead but accidentally switched the rear brakes off, ending any chances of a podium.

The Silver Arrows arrive in Baku besieged with problems, as they still grapple with pace issues which have left them in third place and already 67 points behind Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

Hamilton did finish on the podium in Melbourne, and a timely performance upgrade during the break will be a welcome boost.

The 38-year-old will be going to the fourth race of the season with renewed freshness and hope, and with his impressive record in Baku it might be just the track to boost Mercedes hope of a title challenge this year.

READ MORE: Mercedes 2023 season review so far