F1 has only provoked Lewis Hamilton with last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claims TV pundit

Lewis Hamilton's emphatic championship loss to Max Verstappen due to a mishandled 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is still fresh on the minds of F1 fans. According to Karun Chandhok, the Briton's fresh-spirited return to F1 this year indicates that the sport 'pulled that tail on the tiger' that is Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the Abu Dhabi GP's aftermath, the former F1 driver-turned-TV pundit said:

“One of two things was going to happen. Either Lewis was going to get disillusioned with the sport, or you’ll pull the tail on the tiger. I suspect we’ve got the latter.”

There were even doubts over Hamilton's future in the sport, especially as he distanced himself from the public eye and all social media. He, however, made a return just a few weeks before the launch of the new Mercedes and has maintained a positive outlook over everything since then.

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People underestimate Lewis Hamilton: Paul di Resta

Fans expect the battle between teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to be one of the more enticing ones this season. F1 has this young up-and-comer in Russell, while Hamilton is a seven-time world champion and an absolute legend of the sport.

Many are excited about the battle and even egging on Russell, considering what happened between Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari in 2019. F1 driver-turned-TV pundit Paul di Resta, however, cautioned against that.

While di Resta acknowledged Russell's supreme qualifying pace, he also pointed out that Hamilton was an absolute animal during a race. He claimed that it takes a lot to beat such a driver, especially with the senior Briton looking to prove a point after what happened last year.

Speaking to Sky, the 35-year-old former Williams driver said:

“George [Russell] is absolutely superb in qualifying, there’s no doubt he’ll pull laps out and surprise Lewis [Hamilton]. But I think people underestimate Lewis and how relentless he is in the race. He’s an absolute animal when it comes to what he can get out of the car.”

He then went on to say:

“It also depends what Lewis’ mindset is. He seems in good spirits and I think he’s still definitely at his prime. He will want to prove a point, more than anything, that he can win this eighth world title.”

The 2022 F1 season is expected to be peppered with many intriguing storylines like Max Verstappen's first title defense, Hamilton's return, Ferrari's resurgence and more. After an intense, high-pressure 2021, this season seems to be well placed to produce a thriller as well.