Lewis Hamilton has conceded it may take Mercedes the entirety of the 2023 Formula One season to close the gap to frontrunners Red Bull, all but writing off his team’s chances of even competing for a win.
The seven-time champion was blunt in admitting how far off the pace his team are and, despite an expected change in the design of the Mercedes car, did not anticipate catching Red Bull.
Hamilton was speaking before this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where another difficult weekend is likely after Mercedes struggled in the opening two rounds of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The British driver managed only fifth in both meetings, which were won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez respectively.
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