Lewis Hamilton beat the competition from tenth place on the grid at the Brazilian Grand Prix and, after a strong comeback, clinched victory over title candidate Max Verstappen. A question of mentality, as the two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi believes. The Brazilian therefore compares Hamilton with tennis legend Roger Federer.
“This is a good example for the new generation, because Federer has always managed to turn a game that was believed to be lost thanks to his mental strength, even though the opponent was stronger and younger,” said Fittipaldi to ‘Motorsport.com’ won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1972 and 1974.
“I was very surprised,” said the now 74-year-old about Hamilton’s comeback in Sao Paulo. “His comeback was a good example of hiring an athlete.” At the same time, Fittipaldi also holds great chances for youngster Verstappen, who is fighting a hot battle for the title with Hamilton in the 2021 season and is leading the overall standings. With three races left, the two are separated by just 14 points.
Championship not yet decided
“The championship is still open,” said the delighted former Formula 1 driver. “Because of the result [in Brasilien] it is even more open now. The weekend shows how extremely talented Lewis and Max are and I told myself, ‘Look what Lewis did there. He came from the very back because he was disqualified and started from 20th place [im Sprintrennen] and he still managed to solve the problem. ‘”
Explanation: Hamilton was disqualified after qualifying because of an illegal rear wing. According to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, there was a deviation of 0.2 millimeters. After 24 laps, Hamilton finished the sprint race in fifth place, but had to start the Grand Prix from tenth place due to another penalty. Despite the hurdles, the Brit won the race in Brazil in a dominant way.
According to Fittipaldi, the pressure that must have been on the shoulders of the Briton was extremely high, as a small mistake would have had a big impact on the outcome of the title fight. Verstappen, on the other hand, would have proven to make the right decisions in the title fight. Fittipaldi attests the Dutchman “a perfect job”. “He was fast, consistent and didn’t make any mistakes, nor did he get the points.”
Verstappen and Hamilton are exceptional talents
Fittipaldi can’t get out of the enthusiasm and explains what a “good example” the two title candidates are for the new generation. “Someone is younger and less experienced, but can still handle enormous pressures,” said the Brazilian. “Lewis has so much experience and made an impossible comeback. It was a great show by both of them and it was great fun to watch.”
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Fittipaldi does not want to give a championship tip because it is like a lottery. Nevertheless, he sees the Red Bull driver at an advantage, since he was more consistent than Hamilton on all types of track. “The key will be to finish on the podium in all races,” explains Fittipaldi. “Should a driver fail, he has a very big problem …”
Back to the comparison between Hamilton and Federer: The Briton has won seven titles in his Formula 1 career and at 36 years of age is still part of the racing elite. Federer has won 20 Grand Slams in his career – most recently the Australian Open in 2018. The 40-year-old still performed at the highest level and celebrated victories at a comparatively high athlete age – like Hamilton currently. The mental strength of the two exceptional talents has certainly contributed to the success.
With images from Motorsport Images.
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