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Lewis Hamilton is officially out of the 2022 F1 title race. The Mercedes driver finds himself a whopping 167 points behind Max Verstappen.
With just six races left and a sprint in Interlagos (eight points), 164 points (26 points for the win and fastest lap) are up for grabs. Even if Hamilton takes all these points and leader Max Verstappen doesn't take any, the Briton will still not overtake Verstappen.
This is an unprecedented occurrence. The last time Hamilton was out of championship contention this early in the season was in 2013. At that time, it was Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull who was in the midst of his legendary nine-race win streak.
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This season, Mercedes haven't won once as Hamilton finds himself in sixth position in the championship. This should be a humbling experience for the German team that has dominated the sport in a way not many teams have done over the years.
About his team's struggles this season, Hamilton said that it's an opportunity to learn. He said:
"I look at it as a bit of adversity, and I think that's where you can really gain strength. I think we've gained a lot of strength in depth. When you winning all the time, it's a wonderful thing, but you don't gain a lot when you win. There are six races (left), so there's six opportunities, and we will try to get a win, but if we do not do well, I do not think it is the end of the world."
Hamilton's best result this year is a pair of second-place finishes in France and Hungary.
Our goal is to try and get second in the constructors championship - Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton has said that the team's goal is to secure P2 in the constructors championship.
The team has shown significant improvement after a stuttering start. The initial races had Mercedes firmly as the third fastest car on the grid. Since the summer break, they have competed with Ferrari on an even keel.
Hamilton said that a P2 finish is going to be instrumental for Mercedes, as it would give the team confidence. He's looking forward to race in Singapore this weekend and expects the car to be competitive there. The seven-time world champion said:
"Our goal is to try and get second in the teams because that does make a huge impact for everybody back at the factory, and so these next six races are just about maximum attack, nothing to lose and going to give it hell. I would say Singapore should be a good track for us because it's a high downforce circuit. However it is bumpy."
Mercedes are only 35 points behind Ferrari with six races left. It will be interesting to see if the German team can usurp the Prancing Horse this season.
