Former F1 driver questions Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ dominance amidst Max Verstappen's supremacy: “Was it him or was it the car?”

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya recently spoke about how Lewis Hamilton is complaining about Max Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance and how the FIA should make some changes to further equalize the grid.

It is safe to say that seven-time world champion Hamilton knows exactly what it feels like to dominate F1 for several years since he himself has done that with Mercedes for quite some time.

Speaking to MyBettingSites, Montoya touched on this exact topic and explained how weird it is for Lewis Hamilton to speak against Max Verstappen dominating the sport while the Brit himself has done so for so many years.

He further questioned whether it was because of Hamilton's talent or the car's ability to obliterate the rest of the field.

"It's funny because Lewis keeps saying how unfair it is... He is already predicting that Max will also win next year, but if you look back at his period of dominance. Was it him or was it the car? We were all happy for him when he dominated," Montoya said.

Max Verstappen has already won two world championships and is on his way to winning the third in the 2023 F1 season. The Dutchman is around 100 points clear of the second driver in the championship table, who happens to be his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Verstappen now has six consecutive race wins ever since the Miami GP and is proving to be unbeatable, at least as of now.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are trying everything to bounce back and return to the top. However, they too are experiencing crests and troughs in their performance, especially due to tracks with drastically different characteristics. Red Bull's RB19 seems to dominate every single type of track, which is causing its rivals to struggle even more.

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Lewis Hamilton is willing to race in F1 for another five years

Lewis Hamilton recently expressed how much he loves being in an F1 paddock and racing in the sport. Although he recalled how much he struggled in the 2022 F1 season with W13's porpoising issues, he admitted that he still gets the same 'buzz' from racing.

"I get into the paddock and I get in the car and I'm like: 'Damn, I love this so much.' I definitely get the same buzz. I would say, in last year's car and this year's car, I get in with hype, and then you get in like: 'Damn, it's bouncing'. Or you have got some sort of problem with the car. So it's not as enjoyable to drive, for example, as like the W8," Hamilton told Channel 4.

The Brit further stated that he can see himself racing for another five years.

"But, you know, I can see myself being here still in five years' time. For the next five years. Well, I mean, but it can change at any point," he added.

Lewis Hamilton's contract extension with Mercedes is still behind the curtains as both parties are discussing some final details.