Lewis Hamilton title hope doubt as Red Bull insider sends clear message – F1 news round-up

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton sings the national anthem at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Sunday’s selection of F1 news does not make for interesting reading about seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Not only have his hopes of challenging Red Bull and Max Verstappen in 2024 been dashed, but Mercedes team-mate George Russell is more likely to win the title this season.
Get ready for a quick look at today’s top topics…

Lewis Hamilton has been told to forget about the F1 title in 2024, with Red Bull insiders warning it could be another “exciting season” with Max Verstappen at the helm. Verstappen has won 44 of the last 66 races since the start of the campaign for a first title in 2021, while Hamilton has not won since the final round of the season in Saudi Arabia.
Mercedes are hoping to challenge for the title in 2024, but the Red Bull man believes they cannot look past Verstappen. The F1 champion has backed George Russell to take on Verstappen in the 2024 F1 season if Mercedes can produce a competitive car.
Russell had an impressive debut season for Mercedes in 2022, beating celebrated team-mate Hamilton to take his first career win in Brazil, but had just two wins in a difficult 2023. But Russell, a one-time Grand Prix winner, is invited to challenge Verstappen in 2024 on one condition.

The start of a new season is traditionally a time of renewed hope and anticipation, but before Christmas Croft was told that a team’s optimism was already fading. Depending on how the 2023 season plays out, the identity of this team may not be all that surprising…