close
close

Damon Hill says Carlos Sainz ‘unfortunately’ can’t compete with Lewis Hamilton’s one ‘huge’ trait

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Damon Hill says Carlos Sainz ‘unfortunately’ can’t compete with Lewis Hamilton’s one ‘huge’ trait

Carlos Sainz’s victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix has reignited debate over whether Ferrari should have signed Lewis Hamilton. Sainz has arguably driven at a higher level than Hamilton this year.

Both drivers won two races, with Sainz also taking victory in Melbourne in March. Hamilton won his home Grand Prix at Silverstone and then inherited victory in Belgium when George Russell was disqualified for breaking the weight limit.

In the championship, Sainz is one place ahead (fifth versus sixth), but the gap between them is an impressive 51 points. He has seven podiums to his name compared to Hamilton’s four.

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes walks in the paddock during practice for the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Circuit José Carlos Pa...
Photo by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

It should be emphasized that the 30-year-old man drives a faster car. In this sense, it may be better to compare the two riders with their teammates.

As you’d expect given Ferrari’s preference for him, Charles Leclerc leads the head-to-heads with an overall score of 24-13 (qualifying and racing combined). In contrast, Hamilton trails George Russell 26-11.

Of course, Ferrari made a decision before the start of the season. They know that Hamilton is the most successful driver in Formula One history, with seven world championships to his name.

Damon Hill says Lewis Hamilton’s ‘name’ may have earned him a Ferrari seat

Speaking ahead of sprint qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, 1996 world champion Damon Hill explained that Ferrari didn’t just sign Hamilton for sporting reasons. He recalls the jump in Scuderia’s share price after they announced his arrival.

This reflects Hamilton’s status as one of the most sought-after athletes on the planet. To his credit, much of the credit goes to his accomplishments on the track.

Still, Hill says Sainz may feel slighted. He will rightly feel that he has been a strong teammate to Leclerc over the past four seasons.

“You can understand Ferrari’s position,” Hill said. “Lewis’ name is huge. As we know, the stock jumped after the announcement of his arrival here. This is a big story.

“This is Formula 1 and unfortunately these things are a big factor in the sport. He was unlucky. He probably thinks he did absolutely as well as Charles did.”

Lewis Hamilton reveals what Ferrari did to ‘interest’ him this year

Hamilton will be delighted with what he sees from Ferrari this year. The Italian marquee is bidding to win the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 2008, the year it won its first title.

Fred Vasser led the team to five wins and 18 podiums, leaving them just 29 points behind leaders McLaren. And after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix they can lead Mercedes by almost 200 points.

Hamilton was “interested” in Ferrari’s progress, he told media at a press conference on Thursday. His move to Mercedes in 2013 was masterfully timed and he is hoping for a repeat.

It is unlikely that the 39-year-old will sign for the Silver Arrows’ final victory ahead of Abu Dhabi. Mercedes will no longer be updated after Russell’s series of accidents.

Related Posts