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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
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Analysis

How Hamilton dominated in Qatar despite missing a key Mercedes advantage

There was simply no stopping Lewis Hamilton on Formula 1's first visit to Qatar. The Mercedes driver eased to pole position and led every lap to secure an utterly dominant victory - even without a key Mercedes weapon in his arsenal to increase the heat on Red Bull heading into the final two races of the gripping 2021 title race

“They have woken up the lion. He’s absolutely on it. Brutal. And cold-blooded.”

Toto Wolff is in no doubt that Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to his qualifying disqualification at Interlagos has spurred his charge into producing his very best form just as this ultra-close title fight with Max Verstappen reaches its climax. Hamilton channelled his energy to a famous win in the middle of Formula 1’s final 2021 triple header, then drew on it again to absolutely dominate the championship’s first visit to Qatar.

That he did it sporting a rainbow helmet livery to show his support for the LGBTQ+ community in a part of the world where basic human rights remain sadly restricted for some, simply added to his greatness. This was Hamilton at his very best, all while actually missing a key Mercedes strength that could have had him going even faster.

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