Mercedes will beat Red Bull in 2023, says Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton reckons Mercedes will be able to challenge and beat Red Bull in the 2023 season.

Both Merces and Hamilton had a horrendous start to the new technical regulations in 2022. Neither was in contention for a title, and Hamilton ended up having his worst F1 season in 15 years. However, the team made progress through the year and became more and more potent as the season progressed.

So much so that Hamilton and George Russel to put together a 1-2 finish in the penultimate race of the 2022 season, with Russell winning the race. Mercedes are expected to bounce back this season, and Hamilton is confident of his team's chances of toppling Red Bull.

Looking forward to the new season, he told The Mirror:

"I'd like to think that we're going to be the ones that are competing with (Red Bull) and being able to beat them again. I do believe that, for sure. But I really hope that Ferrari are strong in the following years. They've definitely had a difficult year, but there's been some strong signs, obviously, that you've seen this year, which has been nice to see. And it's been nice to see Ferrari doing well again."

He added:

"So, I hope that it's more than a two-way battle next year. I hope there's at least three of us. If not, surprisingly, maybe more. Like, why can't McLaren be there? We'll see. Or even Alpine have been doing amazing. So, we'll see."

Hamilton couldn't secure a pole or race win last season as Mercedes finished behind Red Bull and Ferrari in the constructor's championship.

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David Coulthard echoes Lewis Hamilton's sentiments

Former McLaren driver David Coulthard was in resonance with what Lewis Hamilton has predicted for the new season.

Coulthard felt that there's a great chance Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen could face some serious challenge from both Ferrari and Mercedes. He said:

"I would like to believe that we are going to have a three-way title battle next year. As strong as Max (Verstappen) has been, we are where we are in the closing stages of the (2022) season, which are the foundations of next year. So that, to me, feels like we're a lot closer than we were at the beginning of the year."

With Red Bull expected to be on the back foot due to the cost cap breach penalty, there's a possibility of both Ferrari and Mercedes getting closer to the Austrian team. Verstappen will likely have a task in his hand to win his third straight world title.