Lewis Hamilton has warned that Red Bull could win every race in the 2023 Formula 1 season if rivals don’t lift their game.
Hamilton finished third in Canada behind Max Verstappen, who took his sixth win of the year, and Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull has won all eight races so far in 2023, with Sergio Perez claiming the two Verstappen was not successful in.
It’s left the pack playing catch up, with Aston Martin the most consistent challenger though Mercedes showing improved potential since introducing upgrades in Monaco.
“It’s not a frustration anymore if it ever was,” Hamilton said when asked if he was frustrated by his inability to challenge Verstappen.
“It’s how it is and, you know, what you’re faced with, and there’s nothing I can do about their amazing performance.
“It’s likely that they will win every race moving forward this year unless we, the Astons and us, put a lot more performance on the cars – or their car doesn’t finish.”
Red Bull has shown not only to have an especially fast car, but an adaptable one that has shown to work in all conditions.
It dominated proceedings in Bahrain in the soaring sun and was quite capable in Monaco and Canada in wet and mixed conditions.
Even different styles of circuits have not unduly bothered the RB19, which failed to show weakness in Spain, with its long, loaded corners.
It appeared to hold less of an advantage in Monaco, a circuit where downforce is less important, though the weather clouded that weekend’s true form.
In short, there are no apparent opportunities or events where rivals can look to exploit a clear weakness.
Instead, to mount a challenge they’ll have to engineer their way forward at a rate greater than Red Bull can develop itself.
“It’s not easy with the regulations to find the amount of performance that they have, advantage-wise,” Hamilton noted.
“They’ve got to be 30 points upon us and in certain points through the lap.
“We’ve got some work to do, but it’s not that it’s frustrating.
” I’m happy to, firstly, be back in the mix, and I’m just hoping at some stage we can have it all a little bit more level so we can get back to some of the good races we had back in 2021.
“To have all three of us [Verstappen and Alonso] in in a super tight battle would be sick.”
