Lewis Hamilton has made it clear this year that he is fully intent on trying to claim an unprecedented eighth Drivers’ Championship but would he accept a seat at Red Bull to achieve his dream?
Had it not been for ex-race director Michael Masi not following Formula 1’s rulebook at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, then Hamilton would already be an eight-time World Champion.
Instead, he’s looking increasingly likely to never get the opportunity to fight for the title once again, due to Red Bull’s dominance but also Mercedes’ struggles.
Red Bull are unstoppable, although it’s seemingly more accurate to say that it’s Max Verstappen who nobody can touch.
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The three-time World Champion has won 17 of the 20 completed races in 2023, with him having shattered the records for most consecutive wins, most wins in a season and percentage of wins in a campaign.
With Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi remaining, Verstappen could still write further history.
His dominance has seen Red Bull become untouchable in the Constructors’ Championship, with the Austrians having won 36 races since the start of the new aerodynamic regulations in 2022.
Carlos Sainz is the only non-Red Bull driver to have claimed a race victory this season, something which only came about in Singapore because Red Bull were well below par.
Given how rarely Red Bull are beaten, it’s virtually impossible for any driver to currently compete with Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship.
In many ways it’s even harder for Mercedes, who are set to introduce a third new concept in three seasons in 2024.
The Silver Arrows are still lost in regard to how to get the most out of their package, with it too often being a challenge to drive.
Unless the Brackley-based squad can solve their issues and design an exceptional car from scratch, then Hamilton will likely never challenge for the title every again at Mercedes.
Red Bull is undeniably the place for any driver to be if they want to win the championship; however, they’d still need to defeat Verstappen, something which is considerably easier said than done, as discovered by Sergio Perez.
READ: Red Bull say Sergio Perez ‘shouldn’t need’ Max Verstappen
Hamilton’s best chance of winning another crown and defeating Verstappen is by switching to Red Bull, if that was something ever offered to him.
The chances of Hamilton being offered a seat at Red Bull is virtually non-existent, although F1 legend Ross Brawn isn’t sure if the 103-time race winner would even accept an offer.
“I don’t know. It would be wonderful to see wouldn’t it!” Brawn said on TalkSport, when asked if Hamilton would make the switch to Red Bull if given the chance.