Lewis Hamilton asserts that no Formula 1 team should have the opportunity to dominate the sport for a prolonged period.
There has only been a single title fight contested between two separate teams down to the final race since the switch to six-cylinder turbo-hybrid engines in 2014.
That came in 2021 when Mercedes and Red Bull went head-to-head, with the Constructors’ title going to the German marque but Max Verstappen beating Hamilton to the Drivers’ crown.
Prior to that, Mercedes enjoyed an unprecedented run of seven consecutive title doubles, while Red Bull has aced the latest technical regulations introduced last year.
The Austrian outfit’s advantage has enabled it to remain unbeaten across the 2023 campaign, with Verstappen winning the past eight races to open up a comprehensive 125-point advantage in the standings.
Hamilton, whose Mercedes side sits second in the Constructors’ Championship, believes it is wrong that Red Bull will likely dominate up until the rules are reset in 2026.
“If we continue like this, maybe Ferrari will dominate in the next few years, or maybe McLaren will, or maybe Mercedes will get back in front, but I think this is not the best thing for the fans,” Hamilton told Channel 4.
“We shouldn’t have the chance to dominate for a large number of years, the battle for the top positions should be closer.
“Unfortunately, however, Red Bull could seriously dominate even in the next three seasons.”
Red Bull is aiming to achieve a feat that Mercedes never managed during its own dominant cycle: win every single grand prix across an entire F1 season.
The 2023 season continues next weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix, where Verstappen will have the chance to achieve a record-equalling ninth consecutive win.
Red Bull has already broken the record for the most wins in a row by a team, breaking McLaren’s tally from the 1988 season with its 12th straight victory in Hungary.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has already disclosed his side is working on the RB19’s successor amid its comfortable margin at the summit of both standings.
The Milton-Keynes-based squad are already condemned to receiving the least aerodynamic testing time of any team on the grid due to its status as World Champions.
However, that figure has been reduced still by the penalty it received last year for breaking the cost cap regulations in 2021.
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