Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton isn't particularly used to finishing in the midfield places, or struggling to score points. But that appears to be his new reality in 2022, with the Mercedes W13 proving a handful in the early stages of this season. Having qualified in 16th place for the race in Saudi Arabia, Hamilton put in a great drive to rise to as high as sixth as he ran a long first stint on the Hard tyres. His race fell apart, though, when two cars broke down and blocked the entrance to the pit lane with 15 laps remaining. Hamilton wanted to come into the pits to make his mandatory stop, but appeared to err on the side of caution as he sped up again and drove past. With the pit lane closed by Race Control just moments later, Hamilton's race was wrecked as he had to pit when the Grand Prix returned to green flag conditions. Hamilton would come out in 12th place, but recovered to 10th by the chequered flag.
Hamilton unsure of the reward for 10th place
After crossing the line in 10th, and having been told his final result by race engineer Pete Bonnington, Hamilton appeared genuinely confused by whether he had actually been rewarded for his efforts. "Is there even a point for that position?" Hamilton queried as he drove around on the cooldown lap. "Eh, yeah, you do get a point..." was a nonplussed Bonnington's reply. While one might expect such a veteran of the sport to be familiar with F1's points system, it's perhaps no surprise that Hamilton wasn't sure about how many are on offer for such a lowly position. After eight straight years of being a title contender and winner with Mercedes, and aside from a rare non-scoring finish in Azerbaijan in 2021, the last time Hamilton placed as low as 10th was almost a decade ago. Racing for McLaren in 2012, Hamilton crossed the line to pick up the final point at that year's Korean Grand Prix – the intervening 10 years clearly wiping out the need for Hamilton to hold onto that knowledge.
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