Lewis Hamilton has predicted Max Verstappen’s staggering domination could continue for the next couple of years.
The seven-time champion punctured the dreams of those who could see the shoots of competitive form emerging lately from the champions arch rivals, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Hamilton was speaking after the Dutchman extended his glory run to a record 17th win of the season with an easy victory in Brazil.
At the same time, Mercedes' renaissance in Texas and Mexico fell flat on its face in Sao Paulo with a performance boss Toto Wolff branded “the worst weekend in 13 years”.
Hamilton finished eighth, almost a minute behind the winner, and teammate George Russell retired with a broken engine.
That was on a circuit where Russell triumphed 12 months ago, and just 14 days after the man in the other Mercedes had pushed Verstappen all the way to the flag in Austin before being disqualified, and followed it up with another second place in Mexico.
“All I can do is try to remain optimistic,” said Hamilton in Brazil. “But the Red Bull is so far away they’re probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years.”
Despite his delight at the car’s form at the last race Hamilton now admitted: “I’m not dazzled by where we are.
“I get messages saying ’Oh, it’s looking good’ but I reply ‘It was looking good this time last year too and then we started the season 1.5 seconds behind'.”
The latest blow comes at the end of a week in which former technical boss Mike Elliott, who championed their disastrous so-called ‘zero sidepod’ design, left the team.
Former Ferrari chief James Allison tightened his grip on technical matters.
Wolff branded their sudden lack of form as “unacceptable” and “baffling”, saying Mercedes appeared to be racing on “three wheels not four” in their “miserable” car.
Hamilton had been running third early in the race and looked set to carve another slice out of Sergio Perez’s grip on second place in the drivers' championship.
But his slump to eighth, while Red Bull's Mexican driver gamely plodded up to fourth, meant Hamilton shipped another 12 points and now trails by 32 with rounds remaining in Las Vegas on November 19 and Abu Dhabi on November 26.
Hamilton’s analysis also rings true for Ferrari, who also suffered badly in Brazil. Having qualified on the front row, Charles Leclerc failed to make it to the start after a hydraulics failure pitched him into the barriers and teammate Carlos Sainz complained publicly about their troublesome clutch.
Bemoaning his misfortune, Leclerc joked he might detour before Vegas to the Christian religious site of Lourdes to try to turn his luck around.
Such is Red Bull’s scorching pace under genius designer Adrian Newey, their nearest rivals in Brackley and Maranello are falling apart just when the foundations of next year’s challenge should be materialising.
The two legendary teams are separated by just 20 points in the battle for second in the constructors' championship.
Neither team are particularly enamoured at the ‘honour’ of such a distant second to Red Bull except that it is tied to tens of millions extra in prize money.
With at least 44 points on offer in each of the last two events, one big race result could prove decisive.
“The gap is still big in the championship and we have to be aggressive,” admitted Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur.
Meanwhile, F1 bosses have reportedly assured teams the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will go ahead despite renewed warnings by Britain’s Foreign Office to its citizens to maintain a “high level of security awareness” in the Gulf because of the “high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals”.
The warning by the government in the country where most of the F1 teams are based is a copy of those being issued in Belgium, France and Bahrain who are also involved in F1.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
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%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20One%20%26amp%3B%20X%2FS%2C%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PC%20and%20Mac%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
