Lewis Hamilton fired a warning at his Formula 1 rivals saying he has “prepared for a championship battle” in 2023.
Last year was statistically the worst season of the Mercedes driver’s 15-year career after Hamilton failed to win a race in a calendar year for the first time and finished sixth in the Drivers’ standings, his lowest-ever result.
But speaking ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Thursday, Lewis made it clear he was ready to take on Max Verstappen and the rest, if possible.
“We will find out in the next couple of days what is realistic,” he told Sky Sports. “But that’s what I have prepared for. I have prepared myself for a championship battle.
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“Whether or not we have the equipment for a championship battle? We will find out. But I do believe that I have a team, still, who are championship worthy. We will keep our heads down.
“Last year we were in panic mode – ‘what is the issue? Fix it!’ It took us forever to fully understand it. This year, we start with a car that doesn’t bounce but it is similar to last year’s cars. But there are positives. It is a good foundation to work on.”
To challenge for an eighth championship, Hamilton would have to break another F1 record by becoming the first driver to win a race after his 300th Grand Prix start.
“There has never been a driver like me,” he told Formule1.nl when that fact was put to him.
And his likely rivals agree that Hamilton is still a formidable threat.
“Of course he is,” Verstappen said, “he’s one of the greatest drivers ever in the sport.
“If he has the car to do it, he can fight for the title again.
“It’s the same for George [Russell], for Charles [Leclerc], it’s the same for Lando [Norris]. If you give them a car that’s capable of winning a championship, they can.”
Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this year, Ferrari driver Leclerc added: “Lewis will never be out of the question for championship fights. I’m pretty sure that if he has the car, he will be there.
“We must not forget what he has achieved in the sport and he still has it. We’ve seen it plenty of times last year.
“So no, Lewis will be there, like Red Bull will be too, and I hope it’s going to be a great fight.”