âÂÂNo stopping himâÂÂ: Hamilton admits defeat as Antonelli charges towards F1 world title
Retirement in Madrid leaves Hamilton 101 points back
Antonelli leads way by 81 points after Spanish GP win
Lewis Hamilton has conceded his Formula One world title hopes are over as he praised the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, saying there was no stopping the Italian after his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton, in third place in the championship, had to retire from the race at the Madring with a brake problem on lap six. After AntonelliâÂÂs victory it leaves the seven-time world champion 101 points behind the 20-year-old Italian, who took over his seat at Mercedes when Hamilton joined Ferrari.
âÂÂThereâÂÂs no stopping him and Mercedes this year,â Hamilton said. âÂÂTheyâÂÂve done a phenomenal job and they deserve it.âÂÂ
George Russell, AntonelliâÂÂs Mercedes teammate, is in second place 81 points behind with nine meetings remaining, a chasm. But Hamilton, who won his first race for Ferrari at Barcelona this season, insisted he felt there was still more to come from the team, even if Antonelli could not be caught.
âÂÂI think we have a good [car]. WeâÂÂve had a pretty decent car, a good car this weekend and we will continue to try and improve it and we have better results coming in the future.âÂÂ
AntonelliâÂÂs win came after Lando Norris was unlucky with the timing of a virtual safety car, called just after the McLaren driver had passed the pit entry. Antonelli, behind Norris on track, was able to dive into the pits under the VSC and subsequently Norris lost track position. He was unable to make it back with overtaking all but impossible at the circuit and finished third.
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The defending world champion felt it was unfair and it was time the rules around pit stops under the VSC were reconsidered. âÂÂIt just hurts because there was nothing more I could do as a driver. I got pole, I led the race, and to lose it for nothing in my control is not how a race should be won,â he said.
âÂÂThere are things that can be changed to make it more simple, and more fair. We could be covered for at least one lap and that allows us all the opportunity to do a pit-stop, or the pit entry could be blocked. This needs to be part of a wider discussion, and as a group of drivers, I think it is something we would all want.âÂÂ