Lewis Hamilton campaigns for RULE CHANGE to close Max Verstappen gap

Hamilton, Red Bull — Photo: © LAT Images

Lewis Hamilton

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Hamilton campaigns for RULE CHANGE to close Verstappen gap

Lewis Hamilton wants the FIA's help to stop Red Bull's dominance

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 29 June 2023 20:57

Lewis Hamilton has called for the FIA to introduce a date for when Formula 1 teams can start work on their car for next season amid Red Bull's dominance.

In the RB19, Red Bull have created a car that has proven uncatchable. Adrian Newey's design has seen Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez claim victory in every single race so far this season.

Red Bull currently hold a 154-point lead over Mercedes in second place in the constructors' standings, while Verstappen finds himself 69-points clear of Perez and 93 ahead of Hamilton in the driver standings.

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This has led the Mercedes driver to suggest that Red Bull could stop work on their current car and start concentrating their efforts on next year's model. This is something that Hamilton believes would give their F1 rivals an unfair advantage, while the rest of the teams remain focused on iterations of their current design.

Hamilton: 'Verstappen is cruising along'

"The car [Mercedes' W14] is moving in the right direction," he told Sky Sports. "I think ultimately it's likely that bit by bit by the end of the year we will probably catch Red Bull, but that's only because they're probably already focusing on next year's car because they're so far ahead.

"They don't have to make any changes to this year's car any more as they're so far ahead. He's cruising at 100 points ahead of us.

"I think the FIA should probably put a time when everyone is allowed to start developing on the next year's car. So August 1, that's when everybody can start so then no one can get an advantage on the next year, cause that sucks.

Hamilton has been unable to catch Verstappen this season

"It would make more sense. They should. Say for example you start the season and you know you have a bad car, you can just say I'm not going to bother developing this car and put all this money into next year's car and have an advantage."

There was perhaps a certain irony to Hamilton's comments given Mercedes' own previous dominance, yet the seven-time world champion insisted that the Silver Arrows were never in the position that Red Bull currently find themselves in.

"We never started as early as them," he added. "That's why I'm saying - it needs to change because that's why you have dominance for so long and they keep allowing it to happen.

"Ferrari was ahead and the same thing happened there, when Red Bull were ahead with Seb [Vettel] back in the day, they start earlier so they're always ahead."