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Max Verstappen believes it is hard to judge Lewis Hamilton’s performances in 2022 given Mercedes’ mixed results in the last few races.
Given the changeable conditions at Imola, Verstappen felt Hamilton was unable to maximize his potential despite often showing comparative pace to teammate George Russell. While speaking to the Telegraph following the Imola GP, he said:
"I'd say [Hamilton's] car had quite a bit more pace than the midfield traffic, but yeah, it was hard to pass. Also when there was only one dry line, and when you don't have, let's say, a top speed advantage anymore, it makes it a lot harder to judge how far Lewis was off George.
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"Having said that, of course, George [Russell] does finish fourth in that car, so it is not all horrific, right?"
Mercedes had their worst qualifying result in over a decade at the 2022 Imola GP, when both cars were eliminated in Q2. During the Sprint race, neither driver managed to make progress and started Sunday’s Grand Prix on the same positions that they had qualified on.
However, on Sunday, George Russell made rapid progress through the field, while Lewis Hamilton failed to recover any ground. Despite running his dry stint on a less than ideal front end balance, Russell oftentimes showed better pace compared to his veteran teammate.
Max Verstappen didn’t take any pleasure in lapping Hamilton at Imola
Max Verstappen says he took no pleasure in lapping his 2021 title rival at the Imola GP two weeks ago, claiming that he was more focussed on his own race. Speaking to the Telegraph, he said:
"To be honest, it wasn't something I was enjoying at the time.
He added:
"I was just focused on my race, on getting through the traffic as cleanly as possible and winning. I mean, it wasn't like, 'Oh, I'm lapping Lewis, what an amazing feeling'. I had great battles with Lewis last year, now he's in a car which is not so great.”
Max Verstappen lapping his former title rival just four races after the controversial events in Abu Dhabi drew a variety of reactions from fans on social media. While some were celebrating Mercedes’ apparent downfall compared to last season, others were demanding the German team provide the seven-time world champion with a better car.
