Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes star reveals Ferrari worry
LEWIS HAMILTON has admitted he faces an uphill task to win a fifth F1 world championship if Mercedes’ struggles continue.
Formula One expert: Hamilton sees Verstappen as a threat
Mercedes have dominated F1 in the last four years, winning the drivers and constructors championship by a comfortable margin.
But they have made a slow start to this season, with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas failing to win any of the first three races.
And Hamilton’s frustration has got the better of him, criticising his team for strategy errors.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel holds a nine and 14-point lead over Hamilton and Bottas respectively.
But the British star feels overcoming the fast-starting Ferrari and dangerous Red Bull would mean more than his previous success.
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes has struggled this season
Who knows what the season holds? If it continues the way it is, it's going to be very tough to win
He told Motorsport.com: "Who knows what the season holds? If it continues the way it is, it's going to be very tough to win.
"But if there's an opportunity, and we were to finish on top, it would mean even more, as it's even a tougher season than before."
Prior to the season, Mercedes were expected to have the fastest car on the grid but Hamilton has since claimed they are slower than the Italian team.
And when asked if he had changed his stance, he said: "It hasn't changed my thinking. My goal is obviously still the same, but it is clear from this weekend that we are not the quickest.
Lewis Hamilton will be hoping for better fortune at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend
"We've lost performance since Melbourne, and maybe more so even this weekend.
"So we are second- or third-fastest team at the moment, so we've got some improving to do, but that's not impossible.
"I think what this team has shown over the years is that we are great at staying united, and continuing to barrel on and keep working.
"So I know everyone here and back at the factory is just going to keep pushing as hard as possible."