Lewis Hamilton admits Mercedes will 'obviously not fight for the championship' after Sprint failure

Lewis Hamilton appeared to give up hopes of winning the Formula 1 championship after a 14th-placed finish at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday. The former world champion, with seven titles to his name, struggled in the curtailed format alongside teammate George Russell, despite the pair being some of the fastest drivers at free practice two earlier in the day. Ad/> Russell took 11th, three places out of the points, and there seemed to be little encouragement for the pair ahead of Sunday’s full race.

Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix'Tomorrow will be different' — Verstappen already looking past Sprint win to focus on Grand Prix2 HOURS AGO Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton gave little reason for hope in the upcoming race, and indeed, beyond it. “We’ve got data,” he stated. “A lot of work is going on in the background.

It is what it is. Unfortunately, we haven’t got it right this year, but everyone is working as hard as they can to correct it.” Verstappen makes late move to sweep past Leclerc and take Imola Sprint win 'Tomorrow will be different' — Verstappen already looking past Sprint win to focus on Grand Prix Russell fastest, Hamilton fourth as Mercedes hint at recovery in practice two at Imola Hamilton denied this was the first rough patch for the Mercedes team, pointing out that, “the team have been through many, many bad years. Most of the people I’m working with haven been with this team for 20 years.