Friday 5th November 2021
“Red Bull will be faster”
Lewis Hamilton is slowly running out of air
The decisive phase begins in the battle for the Formula 1 World Championship. In the fifth last race of the season, Lewis Hamilton pushes the role of favorite – he sees the world championship leader Max Verstappen at an advantage. The team leaders watch each other.
The air is getting thin for Lewis Hamilton, and that’s not just because of the height of Mexico City. Five races before the end of the season, the Formula 1 record world champion is just a hunter in an exciting duel with challenger Max Verstappen – and the next setback for the Mercedes star is already looming.
At the Mexican Grand Prix (Sunday, 8 p.m. / Sky and in the live ticker at ntv.de) World Cup leader Verstappen is the clear favorite. “You have to say that it is a Red Bull track,” said the Mercedes star: “We expect them to be faster than us.” Nevertheless, victory is the goal: “We have to go to our absolute limit.”
The mood at Red Bull is accordingly good. “Our self-confidence increases, the nervousness increases at Mercedes,” said Red Bull Motorsport Director Helmut Marko at RTL / ntv: “I think that’s the basic trend.” Because Red Bull is in an excellent position. Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings with twelve points ahead of Hamilton – and can fully exploit the strengths of his racing car on the next two tracks. Red Bull and Verstappen play a bigger role in Mexico than in the subsequent race in Brazil.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is at an altitude of over 2200 meters, it is the highest route of the year. The thinner air affects aerodynamics, cooling and the engine – less air means a different performance. The turbocharger of the Honda engine is larger than that of the rival Mercedes. An advantage. Marko even dreams of a double one-two victory, first in Mexico, then in Brazil.
“If we fail …”
Two wins in the next two races would be a giant step for Verstappen to the first world championship. “60:40”, calculated Marko, the chances would then be for the Dutchman. Arithmetic games are also running at Mercedes. The result is similar: Verstappen is the favorite. “45:55” are the chances for Hamilton’s eighth world title, according to Mercedes motorsport director Toto Wolff. “Mathematically speaking, there is nothing in motorsport, it can change very quickly from one race to the next,” said Wolff in an interview with RTL / ntv.
There are 133 points to be awarded in the remaining five races: 25 points for five wins, five points for five fastest race laps and three points for winning the sprint in Interlagos. Anything is possible, just one thing to avoid. “Failure is absolutely forbidden,” said Wolff: “If we fail, Max supposedly has a 37 point lead, which is a preliminary decision.”
A failure of the defending champion for Verstappen is not predictable. But one is already preparing for another advantage. Red Bull assumes “that Hamilton will probably get another engine penalty. I don’t know whether five or ten places, but that should definitely speak in our favor,” said Marko. The air for Lewis Hamilton is getting thinner.