Published 15:35 IST, June 24th 2019
F1 | 'Don't blame me for boring races,' says Hamilton after another F1 procession
After winning the French Grand Prix for the second year in succession, Lewis Hamilton told his and F1's critics on Sunday to not blame the drivers for "boring" processional races, but instead to turn their focus on the rule-makers.
A triumphant Lewis Hamilton told his and F1's critics on Sunday to not blame the drivers for "boring" processional races, but instead to turn their focus on the rule-makers. The defending five-time world champion produced a flawless demonstration of racing to triumph from pole position for the second year in succession Sunday's French Grand Prix.
In a largely uneventful race on a sweltering afternoon at the Le Castellet circuit, he led his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas home as they extended the Silver Arrows winning run to 10 races. It was hardly entertaining stuff for the fans at the track or the global television audience and Hamilton warned that the sport needed to consider making "serious changes".
Speaking after his 79th career victory, he told reporters they should consider who should be blamed before drawing any conclusions. He said not to point fingers at the drivers because they don't write the rules.
"You should put the pressure on the people at the head who should be doing their job. I think they are trying to, but for many, many years they have made bad decisions."
Hamilton's relentless success in a dominant Mercedes team has been celebrated in some quarters as an era of greatness, but others -- including the British driver -- have said they want to see more on-track battles and closer competition. As a keen follower of other racing series, including Indycars in the United States, Hamilton has often said Formula One needs to change its technical rule-book to encourage much closer racing.
He explained that he and Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg last week attended a meeting with Formula One Management (FOM) and the sport's ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA). At this meeting, he said they discussed the plans for an overhaul of the rules for 2021 and the introduction of cars that can tolerate the close proximity of other cars in races, without aerodynamic problems.
He said he welcomed the fact that the sport's ruling bodies were open to hearing the views of the drivers. Hamilton said that he will provide any input possible for the good of the sport. Hamilton believes that drivers should be involved in curating the rules for better races for the fans.
He would not be drawn to say he had confidence that the initiative would result in the necessary dramatic changes to transform the racing and eliminate dull processions.
But, he said: "I have faith that it's going to be better and I really hope so. It was encouraging that they allow us to be there and they're really welcoming. I hope they will continue to have us there -- a couple of us drivers each time." He added that he remained optimistic.
He said that the already made reforms for 2021 need further revisions. He is hopeful that Ross Brawn, F1 Director along with his team is working on a real aero package that hopefully will have an impact.
The win at the French Grand Prix was, Hamilton’s sixth this season and 79th of his career. After eight of this season's 21 races, Hamilton leads the championship with 187 points ahead of Bottas on 151.
(With Inputs from PTI)
Updated 16:34 IST, June 24th 2019