Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Team/Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2022 Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
LIVE
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Team/Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2022 Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Hamilton: Pointless to defend any harder against Verstappen

by Phillip Horton
2 years ago
A A
0
Hamilton: Pointless to defend any harder against Verstappen

The podium (L to R): second placed Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 with race winner Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing. French Grand Prix, Sunday 20th June 2021. Paul Ricard, France.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Lewis Hamilton says it was “pointless” to put up too aggressive a defence against a charging Max Verstappen during the closing stages of Formula 1’s French Grand Prix.

Hamilton stayed out on a one-stop strategy at Circuit Paul Ricard after erstwhile leader Verstappen opted to come in for a second stop.

Verstappen reeled in and passed Valtteri Bottas before closing in on Hamilton through the final laps.

Verstappen made the move on the approach to the chicane on the penultimate lap in order to prise victory from Hamilton.

RelatedPosts

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

48 mins ago
Norris reveals F1 livery he wants to see McLaren return to

Norris reveals F1 livery he wants to see McLaren return to

2 hours ago

Explaining the pass, Hamilton said: “Firstly there’s marbles on the inside, so I didn’t want to make my tyres any worse than they already were.

“He had the DRS open, if he didn’t pass me there he would have passed me on the straight afterwards so it made zero difference.

“And I had no front end so he would have got me either way, so it was pointless to defend any harder.

“I think you saw what happened with Valtteri [Bottas], just ended up going straight on, so there’s no point messing up the tyres any more.”

Hamilton suggested Mercedes could have taken victory with a two-stop strategy but reckoned it was only in contention courtesy of Verstappen’s first-lap off.

“I’m sure if we look in hindsight, for sure if we had stopped earlier – before they stopped – and come out ahead, just gone onto a two-stop, we probably could have won the race,” he said.

“But it would have still been very difficult, their pace was generally very, very strong.

“I was able to keep him at bay when he was behind me, but if he had not made the mistake in Turn 1 then they would have just led the race all the way probably.”

Tags: F1FrenchGPHamiltonVerstappen
Share699Tweet437Share175

Related Posts

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid
Formula 1

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

48 mins ago
Norris reveals F1 livery he wants to see McLaren return to
Formula 1

Norris reveals F1 livery he wants to see McLaren return to

2 hours ago
Formula 1

Video: F1 Car vs Outback – Ricciardo’s great Aussie road trip

3 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Articles

Rosberg: Hamilton’s split with trainer Cullen ‘makes things even worse’
Formula 1

Rosberg: Hamilton’s split with trainer Cullen ‘makes things even worse’

March 22, 2023
Massa: No reason why Verstappen won’t win six F1 titles in a row
Formula 1

Massa: No reason why Verstappen won’t win six F1 titles in a row

March 24, 2023

Upcoming Races

#EventLocationDate
2Saudi Arabian GPJeddah19 March
3Australian GPMelbourne02 April
4Azerbaijan GPBaku30 April
5Miami GPMiami07 May
6Emilia Romagna GPImola21 May

Click here for the full 2023 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Max Verstappen44
Sergio Perez43
Fernando Alonso30
George Russell18
Carlos Sainz20
Lewis Hamilton20
Lance Stroll8
Charles Leclerc6
Valtteri Bottas4
Esteban Ocon4

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Follow Motorsport Week

Motorsport Week

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • 2023 F1 Calendar
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
    • Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
    • Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • WSeries
    • DTM
    • IMSA
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
X