Lewis Hamilton has again been tipped to dominate Formula 1 in 2020 with former Red Bull driver Mark Webber all but writing off teammate Valtteri Bottas' chance of challenging the 6-time Drivers' champion. He believes Hamilton is at another level compared to his challengers, especially since he 'reinvents' himself before starting every new campaign.
Mercedes go in to the 2020 season as the favorites after dominating the pre-season tests in terms of lap count and innovation. The Silver Arrows teams rear suspension was hailed as a great innovation, but it was the Dual Axis Steering (DAS) system that turned heads and left rivals wide eyed and it is unlikely that any other team can copy the system at least until mid-season.
The reigning champions even set the fastest time and every analyst has put them as the team to beat going into the 2020 season, which could see them win a record seventh straight Drivers' and Constructors' championship. Bottas was hoping to take the challenge to Hamilton last season but he was unable to sustain it throughout the campaign as the Briton ran away with the title.
The Finnish driver is hoping to mount a sustained challenge again in 2020 but Webber believes it very unlikely that Bottas beats Hamilton to the title. In fact, the Australian believes even other drivers will struggle to compete at the 6-time champion's level as he looks to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven F1 titles. Only Nico Rosberg was able to prevent Hamilton winning six times with Mercedes in the Turbo-Hybrid Era by claiming the title in the final race in 2016.
"Nothing against Valtteri, but Hamilton is one of the greats of the sport in the last 70 years," Webber said in the Sydney Morning Herald, as quoted by the Daily Express. "He is a headache for everyone. I don't know who would be comfortable sitting beside him."
"He gave Fernando Alonso a bit of a touch up in Lewis' first season alongside him in F1. Lewis is a ginormous, ginormous challenge for anyone. Valtteri is doing what he can, but Hamilton is a big problem for the opposition.
" He's hungry and he's still tenacious and he is reinventing himself, and that's the extraordinary quality he has which is great to watch," Webber added.
