Lewis Hamilton: F1 cost cap penalty ‘didn’t cost Red Bull anything’, ‘it was so small’
Red Bull were hit with a fine and restriction o𝓰n aerodynamic testing after they were found guilty of breaking F1’s financial regulations for the 2021 season.
Ironically, it was the season 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen went head-to-head with Hamilton for the title.
Despite the restrictions on aero testing, Red Bull are enjoying their most dominant campaign to date, winning all eight of the races so far in F1 2023.
With such a lead in both championships, Red Bull can focus 🍬on next year’s car develoꦗpment while still dominating this year.
This prospect has led to a suggestion from Hamilton that the FIA should set a 🦋hard deadline when F1 teams are allowed to start developing their car for next year amid fears that Red Bull can capitalise on their dominance this year and begin work on the 2024 car before anyone else.
Speaking to Sky ♏ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “I don’t think it did, anyway. The pena🤪lty didn’t cost them anything.
“It definitely, definitely didnﷺ’t. It 🧸was so small.”
Looking at Mercedes’ও chances, Hamilton hasn’t won in F1 in over 18 months, stretching back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Despite the lengthy drought, Hamilton’s focus is on challenging for next year’s championship in 2024 ratౠher than winning a race this year.
"I don’t know, I’m trying to win a race,” he added. 🌊“I have no idea. It dep🍸ends where the car goes.
“We will hopefully get close but I can’t predict what Aston or Ferrari will do, or where ⛦Red Bull will be. I hope so. But I also hope that we don’t focus too much on winning a raꦡce this year.
“I ✤care less to win a race this year, more to win the championship next ye𝓰ar.”
Hamilton has often struggled relative to his 𒁃teammates at this weekend’s venue in Austria.
He last won at the Re༒d Bull Ring in 2020 after st൲orming to pole by 1.2s in wet conditions.
“We have not made any c꧒hanges to the car, between the last race and this one,” he explai෴ned.
“There are similarities to Barcelona, trackwisಌe. The car will be fairly decent here.
“I’m more excited for next week because we will take a small step in the right direction. I think we have a step coming. It is siཧmilar to the last step that we took. Small steps in the right direction൩.
“🦩But the great thing is that we have steps 💞coming, that’s the one really important thing to look at.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and story🥀lines, Conn꧙or is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
