02 July 2023 , 22:24
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Lewis Hamilton has promised to "keep fighting" after another disappointing result at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton finished seventh at the Red Bull Ring but dropped a place following a track limits investigation by the FIA. The Mercedes favourite received a 10-second penalty to drop to eighth, with Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly also losing points for the same offence.
Max Verstappen won his fifth consecutive race to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 81 points, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in second. Hamilton is still waiting for his first win since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021.
Hamilton will find it difficult to get anywhere near Verstappen this year, with the Dutchman storming towards a third consecutive world title. Yet the seven-time world champion is determined to bounce back from the toughest spell of his career to date.
Hamilton offered his opinion on Instagram after Sunday's race. He wrote: "There are days when I can say I’m truly proud of myself and days like today when frustration takes over. In a race it can feel like you’re hanging off a cliff and losing the strength to hold on.
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"It’s confusing for us to have such strong performances one day and then be nowhere the next. But when you really care about what you’re doing you brush it off and keep fighting! Heads down for Silverstone, hope to see you all at home."
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The next race in the Formula One calendar is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Hamilton would love to end his victory drought on home soil. He is the most successful driver in the history of the British GP, winning eight times at Silverstone before.
Seven of Hamilton's victories at Silverstone have come in the last nine years. The only other drivers to win the British GP during that time are Sebastian Vettel (2018) and Carlos Sainz (2022), who were both driving Ferraris.
Red Bull have a relatively poor record at the British GP. They haven't won the race since Mark Webber's triumph in 2012, with their only wins coming in 2009 (Vettel) and 2010 (Webber). For all his dominance in recent years, Verstappen has never won that race.
Yet Verstappen did win the one off 70th Anniversary Grand Prix held at Silverstone in 2020, which was organised after the Covid pandemic forced other races to be cancelled. Verstappen would love to break his British GP drought in a week's time.
The reigning champion also won Saturday's sprint at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the GP. He was asked about his huge lead in the Drivers' Championship after Sunday's race and whether the title race is over. He said: "I don’t like to think about that yet.
"I’m just enjoying the moment driving this car, working with the team. I think the whole weekend we have done a really good job, the sprint weekend is always very hectic and a lot of things can go wrong and luckily a lot of things went right for us this weekend."