Lewis Hamilton Unhappy with British GP Clash with Wimbledon and Cricket World Cup

Published 07/12/2019, 6:51 AM EDT

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This weekend is a big one for sport in general, as multiple high-profile events are taking place. Along with the British Grand Prix, the Men’s singles final at Wimbledon will take place, as well as the ICC Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand. To that end, Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton is concerned about the clash.

The five-time Formula One champion leads the 2019 championship as he prepares for his home race. However, there will be a massive battle for screen time in the United Kingdom as he guns for a record sixth British GP win. The Silverstone race is pitted against the Cricket World Cup final, the gentlemen’s singles final at Wimbledon and the Tour de France.

Currently, Lewis Hamilton is tied with Jim Clark and Alain Prost on five British Grand Prix wins. This F1 battle will be interesting since Max Verstappen and Red Bull proved that Mercedes were not invulnerable. However, the cooler temperatures and fast corners of the circuit will play into Mercedes’ hands.

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Lewis Hamilton has seized four victories in five years at the iconic British venue and is aiming for another. Meanwhile, his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas trails him in the championship standings by 31 points. Both drivers are well clear of the 3rd-placed Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel.

“What I don’t understand is why the organisers put the race on the same day as all these other big events, like Wimbledon,” Hamilton said. “I really don’t understand it. This is such a special weekend and it needs all the focus of the country and not a small amount. I think people will be switching between channels on Sunday not sure what to watch. Naturally I come here, there are a few of us Brits here, we come here to raise the flag and do the country proud.”

At the Silverstone Circuit itself, Lewis Hamilton will be bathed in plenty of support from the stands. To make matters even better, the Silverstone circuit even renewed its contract to play host until 2024.

via Imago

The 5-time F1 World Champion continued, “The British Grand Prix is the most special grand prix of the year. It really is a spectacular weekend. There is excitement and adrenaline going and there are pressures. My whole family are coming here this weekend so it is that one weekend where it is the most special in a sense because you’ve got your family, your closest support, surrounding you.”

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Lewis Hamilton also spoke about his two rookie compatriots, Lando Norris and George Russell. The senior British driver was happy with the way both drivers are performing in their first season in F1.

“They’ve obviously come through similar ranks to myself and they are both doing exceptional jobs,” he said.

“George is in a team that has struggled for some time but is a part of helping them take the steps to improve. Lando’s progression is incredibly impressive, to be so young and keeping a level head and delivering every weekend against a driver who also has more experience than him.”

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“It would be disappointing if he retired before I had a chance to race him,” McLaren’s Lando Norris said. “He’s British, he’s the man, he’s a five-time world champion. It’s cool racing someone like that. With him being British and being maybe the best driver ever makes racing him something I would love to do, it would be a shame if I didn’t get to do it.”

via Imago

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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