Hamilton’s Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, also conceded the task that lay ahead was “a Mount Everest to climb”. “Red Bull won by 17 seconds and they have not touched the car since August or July,” Hamilton said. Despite claiming second in the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi and with the team adopting a new design philosophy for next year, Wolff was similarly blunt in his assessment of Red Bull’s advantage as the teams go into the close season. “There is a Mount Everest to climb in order to catch up with Red Bull,” Wolff said. “Red Bull started the new regulations in 2022 with a massive advantage and they have been able to maintain it.

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