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 on aerodynamic t𓆏esting 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 development 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 b꧒egin work on the 2024 car before anyone else.
Speaking to Sky ahead of this weekend’s𝕴 Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilto♚n said: “I don’t think it did, anyway. The penalty didn’t cost them anything.
“It definitely, defini✨tely didn’t. It was so smal🐈l.”
Lಞooking at Mercedes’ chances, Hamilton hasn’t won in F1 in over 18 months, stretching back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Despite the lengthy dr🌸ought, Hamilton’s focus is on challenging for next year’s championship in 2024 rather than winning ✨a race this year.
"I don’t know, I’m🙈 trying to win a race,” he added. “I have no idea. 🔯It depends 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 race th🉐is year.
“I care less to win a race this year, 📖more to win the championship next year.”
Hamilton has often struggled relative to his teammates at this weekend’s venue in Austr✃ia.
He last won at the Red Bull Ring in 2020 after storming to p൲ole by 1.2s in wet conditions.
“We ha🐓ve not made any change🐻s to the car, between the last race and this one,” he explained.
“There are similarities to Barcelona, track🅠wise. The car will be fairly decent here.
“I’m more exc🐷ited for next week because we will take a small step in the right direction. I think we have a step coming. It is similar to the last step that we took. Small steps i🅠n the right direction.
“But the great thing is that we have steps coming, that’s thꦉe one really important thing to look at.”
With a ꦜsharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is t🍨he heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
