There is no doubt about Lewis Hamilton’s ability to send targeted messages. At the press conference held yesterday in Interlagos, the seven-time world champion (responding to a question) returned to the penalty he received at last week’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton emphasized how the current system lacks clarity. “I think this is the main problem, along with the secrecy of the decisions made behind the scenes. There is a lack of transparency and accountability, and I think this is something that needs to be addressed.”
It is not an unprecedented position, but Lewis’s words always carry significant weight. Referring to the bodies responsible for decisions during races, Hamilton sent a message with a rather clear reference to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race in which a decision by the then race director, Michael Masi, awarded the world title to Max Verstappen, taking it out of Hamilton’s hands. “I don’t know if they are aware of the weight of their decisions,” he commented. “These are choices that can determine championship outcomes, as we have seen in the past. I’m sure there is still work to be done.”
Putting the Mexican episode behind him, Lewis Hamilton dodged a question about his future at Ferrari (“I have a fairly long contract, and usually discussions about the future start the year before it expires. At the moment I’m still far from that point”) and also on the Massa case: “I don’t have an opinion on it, I don’t read anything about it, and it doesn’t concern me at all. I just try to be ready for race weekends and focus on my work.”
When asked if he expects one of his most difficult weekends this season at Interlagos, Lewis smiled. “I hope not… and I don’t think it will be. I’ve had many highs and lows at this track; I’ve lost one championship here and won another, so I think I’ve experienced everything that can be lived on a circuit.”
“As for this weekend, I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the last two months. In Mexico, Charles had a great result, and we’ve seen how performance changes depending on track types. I really don’t know what to expect; last year Ferrari had a fairly good car here. We’ll see, and it must also be considered that part of the track has been resurfaced, which will be an additional variable.”
After answering some questions about Bortoleto, Bearman, and Colapinto, recalling how difficult a debut season in Formula 1 is today, Lewis dedicated words to Robert Kubica, competing this weekend in the WEC world title fight in Bahrain.
“Without the accident he had, he would have definitely been a Formula 1 world champion; he was one of the best drivers we’ve seen in this paddock. I raced with him in karts in Italy in the late ’90s, and he has always been a phenomenal driver. His journey has been incredible, managing to return to Formula 1 despite the injury. But talent always comes back in the end, and I’m excited for him.”
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