Lewis Hamilton 'very cheekily' forced Carlos Sainz into an alternate strategy at 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had some fierce wheel-to-wheel battles at the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In the first few laps of the race at the Yas Marina circuit, Carlos Sainz chased the Mercedes driver.

After the turn 1 incident where Lewis Hamilton gained an advantage by going off-track and giving the place back, he overtook Sainz once again, forcing him to keep pushing and depleting his tires faster. Hence, the Spaniard had to change his strategy from one-stop to two-stop, eventually costing him a good position.

In the post-race interview, the Ferrari driver explained exactly what happened to him and his strategy. Carlos Sainz said:

"Obviously [there was] the issue with Hamilton at the start. He jumped the corner and then gave me the position very cheekily back, to pass me back, so then I had to pass him back."

He further added:

“I used a lot the tyre and used a lot the pace there, which forced me into a two-stop, which was a slower strategy. It is what it is, we had good pace, and we can focus now on starting like that next year.”

Although Lewis Hamilton had good pace at the start of the race, his car produced a lot of drag in the long straights of the Yas Marina circuit. Additionally, he had to retire the car due to a hydraulic issue in his Mercedes W13.

Despite a sub-par performance in the last race of the season, Carlos Sainz was happy with the pace and was hopeful for the 2023 F1 season. Though nothing can be said for sure, it is likely that one of Ferrari's main rivals for next season will be Mercedes.

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George Russell appreciated Lewis Hamilton for pushing him forward

George Russell had the best season of his Formula 1 career at Mercedes in 2022. The Briton won the first race of his career in Brazil and scored 275 championship points, finishing fourth in the driver standings at the end of the season. While summing up his first year at the Silver Arrows, Russell thanked everyone at the team and especially his teammate, Lewis Hamilton.

George Russell felt fortunate to have the seven-time world champion alongside him. He mentioned how Hamilton pushed him even further to become a better driver. Russell said:

"I feel incredibly fortunate to be with a team such as Mercedes and teammates with Lewis – he's really pushed me to my limits as a driver. I've learned a huge amount going up against somebody like him in the same car."

Since Mercedes struggled a lot during the start of the 2022 F1 season, both the drivers and the entire team worked hard to improve their cars. There wasn't much beef between them as they were working collectively on the car. Lewis Hamilton was quite happy when George Russell won his first race at the 2022 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix.