The seven-time world champion’s prediction came after he finished more than a minute behind Red Bull’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen, who claimed a record-extending 17th win fr♓om 20 races this season at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton slipped to eighth in Sunday’s race at Interlagos, while teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell retireꦯd from 11th, on what was 🐈Mercedes’ worst performance of a challenging 2023 campaign. 

“Ultimately, all I can do is try to remain optimistic,” Hamilton, whose contract runs untiꦛl the end of 2025, said.

“But the Red Bull is so far away that they a𓃲re probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years.”

Hamilton believes Mercedes’ new floor was not working correctly in Brazil and said it had pushed the team into an in༒correct set-up that had inadvertently resulted in their unusually excessive tyre usage. 

“My guess is that the floor is noꦯtꦇ working,” he said. 

“I🔯t’s not sucking down and it’s pushed 🔯us to go to a higher wing, and then we’re just massively draggy on the straights and sliding in the corner. We have to look into why that is the case on this rough circuit.

"The tyres were 𓆏overheating slow on the straights, no grip in the corners.”

The result leaves Hamilton 32 points adrift of Red Bull’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez, who finished fourth, denting the Briton’s hopes of claiming second place in the champ🔯ionship.