Serena Williams has boldly backed Lewis Hamilton’s bid for an eighth F1 title, declaring he “should have had nine already”. Her recognition comes after Toto Wolfe revealed “personal rage” fueled the quest.
Lewis Hamilton was on course to win a record eighth F1 driver’s title in 2021, but a late safety car allowed Max Verstappen to overtake and win the title. (Image credit: Joe Portlock – Formula 1 via Getty Images)Hamilton has faced challenges since the end of a tight title race in 2021, having gone winless in the subsequent two seasons, largely due to Red Bull’s dominance under three-time world champion Max Verstappen. , he has now won the championship two years in a row. Hamilton once again won the drivers’ championship after winning four consecutive championships from 2017 to 2020.
dissatisfied dynamics
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff remains unhappy with the outcome at the end of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi. Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Austrian revealed:
“We live on a hamster wheel and time flies by so fast it doesn’t feel like two years have passed.
“You can see how quickly the pecking order changes. But we have to look forward, learn from the past and work now to get Lewis a quick win again.
“I personally have a sense of anger and motivation for him to win an eighth title because he deserves it.”
PlanetF1 first reported that Serena Williams was quick to respond to Toto’s comments about Lewis Hamilton’s pursuit of an eighth title that sparked debate, saying: “He should have had a ninth title already. But… let’s I’ll be quiet.”
Her comments quickly attracted attention, racking up 1,266 likes and prompting a flurry of comments from supporters and critics alike.
The season in question Williams was referring to was not specified, except that she and many others believe Lewis Hamilton could have won two more world titles.
Hamilton lost the title under questionable circumstances on his first F1 start in 2007, when his McLaren stalled for more than 30 seconds in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix and then came back to life, costing him the title as the first rookie to do so. The chance to win the championship in F1 history.
The British driver has faced the unfortunate situation of being stripped of his title on the final day of the season three times. It underscores the tantalizing what-if scenarios in Hamilton’s illustrious career, which has been punctuated by triumphs and near-misses in the pursuit of more title triumphs.
But one thing is for sure: the ending of the 2021 season has been etched in the minds of all F1 fans, including Serena Williams.
potential season serena mentioned
The most controversial moment occurred during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton looked poised to win his fifth consecutive world title and eighth, but a safety car incident sparked controversy. Championship protagonist Max Verstappen was able to erase Hamilton’s lead when Michael Massey opted for a one-lap penalty shootout.
Race director Massey decided to allow a single lap between Hamilton and Verstappen to pass and bring in the safety car on the same lap – a direct violation of F1 rules. This conflict was compounded by the fact that the other lapped car (behind Verstappen) was not allowed to return to the lead lap, which would have left Verstappen too far behind to launch a final attack.
During the safety car period, the Red Bull driver pitted for new soft compound tires. He took advantage of his huge grip to make a crucial overtake on Hamilton, who was running on hard old tires, and won his first F1 driver’s championship.
Hamilton lost the title under questionable circumstances on his first F1 start in 2007, when his McLaren stalled for more than 30 seconds in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix and then came back to life, costing him the title as the first rookie to do so. The chance to win the championship in F1 history.
As well as Hamilton’s early gearbox issues, the three-stop strategy – while other teams adopted a two-stop strategy – further added to the young Briton’s frustration. He finished seventh, good enough for second in the championship, just one point behind Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen.
Five years later, Hamilton is finally speaking out about the 2007 season. However, he was cautious about the outcome, saying: “I didn’t know then. But I know now. “It’s not something I can talk about. “
mutual affirmation of admiration
The admiration between Hamilton and Williams, two global superstars, has never been a secret. The Mercedes driver took to social media to pay tribute to the 23-time Grand Slam champion following her retirement.
Following the announcement, Hamilton expressed his gratitude by sharing multiple photos of her on Instagram with captions full of praise and respect, including:
“I remember watching her and Venus’ first match against my dad on TV. Seeing such talented women dominate a field where no one could compare to them gave me hope. They made me believe Superheroes are real…”
Featured Image Source: @SportsBible