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After earning his first win in Ferrari, and closing the gap between himself and Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton looked forward to the championship battle between the two.
Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in what was one of the best performances this season, ending Mercedes’ winning streak.
It was an excellent day for Ferrari, who nailed their strategy approach throughout the race and also benefited from a well-timed virtual safety car.
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George Russell praised Hamilton’s excellent performance after the race, congratulating his former teammate on an excellent race.
However, Russell won’t be thrilled with Lewis Hamilton extending the gap between them in the championship race, even with Kimi Antonelli not earning any points during the race.
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Lewis Hamilton admits championship battle with Kimi Antonelli still a ‘long way’ away
When asked by his former teammate-turned-Sky Sports broadcaster, Nico Rosberg, about the possibility of a title battle between himself and Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton was quick to slam the brakes on that talk.
While Hamilton was encouraged by his performance during the race, he admitted that there was a long way to go for him to compete with Antonelli in the championship race.
“I definitely will take it. It’s a long, long way to go. They still have great pace, as you can see. But we’re going to keep working, keep trying to close that gap. It’s not over, that’s for sure.”
Hamilton is experienced enough to know that he shouldn’t be talking about the championship race while there is still a sizable gap between the two.
However, with Antonelli’s DNF result leaving him with no points, Hamilton has begun putting some genuine pressure on his Mercedes successor.
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Even if Hamilton is reticent to talk about a potential championship race, there’s no denying he is now firmly in the running.
Hamilton studied Russell’s pole-setting lap in qualifying, and it allowed him to prepare and get his strategy right on raceday.
Even though some were confused by Hamilton’s decision to start the race on soft tyres, it proved to be an excellent decision from the seven-time world champion.
It also helped that Russell and Antonelli’s battle allowed Hamilton to win the race with a very comfortable margin, thus heating up the title race heading into the summer.
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