After leading the Dutch GP, Lewis Hamilton finished the race in fourth place and Max Verstappen took victory on home turf; Hamilton is confident Mercedes will secure a race win this season and ‘challenge’ Red Bull once again
Last update: 06/09/22 19:25
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is desperate to fight Max Verstappen again this season as the Red Bull driver continues to dominate the championship.
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is “dying” for the chance to race Max Verstappen again as he is confident Mercedes has their sights set on this season.
Hamilton arguably came as close as he got to victory this year at last weekend’s Dutch GP before a combination of strategic risks and safety cars dropped him to fourth and Verstappen ultimately took victory. .
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Max Verstappen overtakes Lewis Hamilton on the restart after the completion of the safety car at the Dutch Grand Prix
After a 2021 season focused on battling the Red Bull team, Hamilton is desperate to get Mercedes back in the mix and can’t wait to take on his old rival once again.
“I’m dying to get back into that race and get a chance to fight Max, but the day hasn’t come. [yet]Hamilton said.
“There are so many wonderful things to take [from the Dutch GP]. If this can be the same in future races, we will continue to root for them and get that win.
“I’m taking all of these positives forward, so thankful for the team and all of their hard work because it’s been hard work for all of them. Let’s just not give up.”
Verstappen’s win at his home race catapulted him 109 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in second place and it’s clear he is a driver who is full of confidence, not only in himself but also in his car.
One of Mercedes’ strategic decisions that was debated was its decision to put George Russell under the safety car but not Hamilton, allowing Verstappen to easily overtake Hamilton for the lead.
While some believe leaving Russell out as a buffer would have been the right move for Mercedes, Verstappen was adamant that it would have secured victory even with the added task of passing Russell as well.
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Max Verstappen celebrated with his Red Bull teammates and home fans after taking victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.
“When you look at the whole weekend, it’s been pretty incredible,” Verstappen said.
“I think everything worked out well, we stayed calm, there’s not a lot of confusion on the radio, they know what to do.
“On the restart, luckily I had a good race and was able to go to the front, then I felt very comfortable with the car and the tires again.
“I think he would have surpassed both of them anyway if he [Russell] he had been left out, so I think it was a smart decision to pit as well.”
Wolff questions Tsunoda DNF as Hamilton win ‘was on’
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has raised questions about Yuki Tsunoda’s bizarre interruption at the Dutch GP and insists Lewis Hamilton would have had a great chance of beating Max Verstappen without the interruption.
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The virtual safety car is deployed as AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda is forced to pull over to the side of the track.
After Tsunoda exited pit lane with a problem and stopped after just four corners, a virtual safety car was called in and gave Verstappen an effective free stop to maintain his lead, while he then overtook Hamilton after a full safety car, with the Mercedes driver eventually finishing fourth.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner insisted he didn’t really play Verstappen’s game, but Wolff opened the door to conspiracy theories that have sprung up online since the events.
“If we were to fight for a championship, that would be something I would look at closely,” admitted the Mercedes team principal when asked if the ruling FIA should investigate the incident.
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defends the team’s strategic decisions and insists they must take risks to stand a chance of winning the race.
“Now, I think what needs to be investigated for the safety of drivers and everyone else.
“The driver stopped, unbuckled, made a full turn, got in, didn’t fix the problem, put his seat belts back on and got out and stopped the car again.
“That has probably changed the outcome of the race that maybe we could have won.”
Wolff said that without the VSC, Verstappen would have exited the pits behind Hamilton by up to eight seconds.
“I think we would have had a fair chance to win,” he added. “The race planner said victory was on the way. It was very close, but it was on.”
formula 1 live
September 9, 2022, 12:30
To live 
Next up this weekend is a visit to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, as Verstappen looks to continue his dominant run, Mercedes focuses on seeking its first victory of the year and Ferrari aims for a home race victory.
You can watch it all live on Sky Sports F1, with practice one on Friday from 12.30pm followed by practice two from 3.45pm.