{"id":292673,"date":"2023-10-22T15:25:31","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T15:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=292673"},"modified":"2023-10-22T15:25:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T15:25:31","slug":"lewis-hamilton-could-be-fighting-losing-battle-after-fias-punishment-remark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/racing\/f1\/lewis-hamilton-could-be-fighting-losing-battle-after-fias-punishment-remark\/","title":{"rendered":"Lewis Hamilton could be fighting losing battle after FIA’s ‘punishment’ remark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Verstappen wins third consecutive Formula One world championship<\/h3>\n

Lewis Hamilton has called upon the FIA to ‘make the right decisions’ to ensure fans do not stop watching the sport after Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominant year. Verstappen has already been crowned world champion for a third straight year following his success in Qatar last time out, and the Dutchman is set to break several long-standing records – with Red Bull’s ‘rocketship’ RB19 car proving to be in a league of its own.<\/p>\n

Verstappen has been in imperious form on the track once again this year and has already sealed this season\u2019s F1 world championship after getting his hands on the 2021 and 2022 titles. His success in 2023 is set to reach new territory of F1 dominance, however, as he prepares to equal his record of 15 wins in a season with five races still to go.<\/p>\n

As a seven-time world champion, Mercedes star Hamilton knows what damage having one driver dominating can do to the sport’s overall popularity with fans. And the Briton is keen to ensure that the FIA are maximising their efforts to help cars stay race close to each other to keep fans engaged in the sport, after attracting a new audience with Drive to Survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, within our sport, we have to continue to work on making sure we\u2019re having close racing because I think you\u2019ve seen the social engagement drop a huge amount this year being that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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READ MORE <\/strong> Toto Wolff pleads for \u2018reality check\u2019 after Hamilton wrapped up in FIA drama[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s obviously heavily impacted on competition. People want to see that. So, we have to make sure that we\u2019re making the right decisions, or the governing body is making the right decisions, to keep us close and great racing right to the end.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more grandstands. I don\u2019t know whether we need to lower the cost but maybe, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton has previously stated that it is on the other nine teams to play catch up, rather than hurt the team that is dominating. But his latest plea is likely to fall on deaf ears if FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s comments are anything to go by.<\/p>\n

The F1 supremo has said he is ‘open’ to hearing ideas on how to improve the sport, with the F1 Sprint an example of how the sport has made changes to its format.<\/p>\n