Lewis Hamilton was looking to add another win to his name at the French Grand Prix. However, in the closing laps of the race his title-rival, Max Verstappen stole the win from him.

The Knight later explained why the team didn’t opt for a two-stop strategy, which could have potentially given them a win.

It seems like Mercedes have bounced back after having two disastrous race weekends. However, the Brackley-based squad would like to have won today and bridge the gap to their rivals Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.

Lewis Hamilton explains why he had to stay out longer and didn’t pit

After the race, as quoted by RaceFans, Hamilton said, “He was already quite far ahead the only option I had was to stay out otherwise because he’s again undercutting me he would just come out ahead and I wouldn’t be able to pass, they’re too quick on the straights. The only option was to stay out as long as possible and hope the tyres hold together.

“We’ve got to find some pace, that’s for sure. Most of the time we lost today was on the straights. We’ve got to dig deep, find out where that is, whether it’s power or drag. We’ve still got a good package,” Hamilton concluded.

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How will this affect the championship for the Knight?

The 7-time world champion hasn’t finished on the podium on two races, so far this season. One at Monaco where he placed seventh, and the other at the Azerbaijan GP where he fifteenth.

He did bounce back at the French Grand Prix, by coming second, earning him eighteen points. However, with Verstappen taking the win and scoring 25 points, a 12 point gap exists between the two drivers.

The Mercedes driver will have his chance in a week’s time and is hoping to win at the Austrian Grand Prix. Can Hamilton use the defeat at France as motivation and take the fight to Verstappen? We will just have to wait and find out.

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