Lewis Hamilton's nightmare scenario that will make the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP 'look tame'

F1 pundit Peter Windsor claims that George Russell winning the title when Mercedes returns to form will be a 'nightmare scenario' for Lewis Hamilton.

The Briton added that Russell's title win will make the infamous Abu Dhabi 2021 debacle look tame in comparison.

In the 2021 season finale of F1, Hamilton was famously denied his chance to win a record-breaking eighth World Championship due to a controversial decision made by the race director, giving Max Verstappen his first title in the sport.

Since then, Verstappen has gone on to win a second championship in 2022 and currently leads the 2023 standings by six points. Meanwhile, Hamilton has so far failed to win a single race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP.

His teammate, Russell, who claimed Mercedes' only win in 2022 in Brazil, has out-qualified him in the first three rounds. Speaking about Lewis Hamilton, Windsor said on a YouTube stream:

“Imagine if it was George Russell that won the Championship – and not Lewis – in that situation. But of course, that could happen. That could easily happen."

"George would have by far enough experience by then, be quick enough and by the law of averages – things could happen to Lewis, things could happen to George – it could go George’s way. That would make what happened in Abu Dhabi ’21 look tame if that happened."

---

F1 pundit claims the Lewis Hamilton-Mercedes era is over

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes' supremacy in F1 has been declared over by Dutch commentator Rob Kamphues. He emphasized that Max Verstappen's triumph at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP was the defining moment marking the end of the Mercedes era.

Despite Hamilton's relentless pursuit of his eighth championship, Mercedes has been unable to provide him with a competitive car to challenge the new front-runners, Red Bull.

The arrival of the ground-effect era in F1 has posed challenges for the Silver Arrows, as they have struggled to understand the 2022 aerodynamic regulations, which has put them at a disadvantage compared to other teams.

The seven-time world champion has not secured a victory since 2021 and was surpassed by his younger teammate George Russell in 2022. Kamphues wrote in Formule 1 Magazine:

“Could something have snapped in the great champion? Lewis hasn’t won a race since that day, he hasn’t achieved pole, he’s never even started from the front row. In 2022, he also finished behind his younger teammate in the championship and that younger teammate also won the only race Mercedes won. Not to mention this season."

It will be interesting to see what Lewis Hamilton can do in Miami this weekend.