3 factors that cost Lewis Hamilton a win at the 2022 Mexican GP
Lewis Hamilton looked disappointed after the race as he salvaged a P2 finish at the 2022 Mexican GP. Mercedes came to Mexico with hopes of fighting for the win. For many fans, this was the best opportunity for the team to clinch its first of the season.
Throughout Friday and Saturday, Mercedes looked strong. Even in qualifying, Hamilton topped Q1 and Q2 before Red Bull. But then Max Verstappen ramped things up in Q3, and Mercedes could not keep up.
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P3 start tomorrow! So so proud of my team, they’ve been on it all weekend and this is best qualifying we’ve had all year. Heads down for tomorrow, it’ll be hard work for sure but we’re excited for the fight 👊🏾🔥 https://t.co/akaGzmPEmy
While in the race, Hamilton left his teammate behind on the first lap and shadowed Verstappen with a gap of around two seconds in the first stint before falling off in the second stint. In the end, it was an easy win for Verstappen, and in the eyes of many, Mercedes missed out.
Was a win on the table for Lewis Hamilton at the 2022 F1 Mexican GP? Possibly. The following section dives into a few key reasons why he may have lost.
1) Lewis Hamilton's compromised qualifying position
It all started with a qualifying session on Saturday. Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers were close in Q3 until the last sector. Hamilton made a mistake on the second lap as he cut the track on the first lap. George Russell fared slightly better on his first lap and secured the front row.
In the last two races in Mexico, audiences have seen a car starting the race in P3 and ultimately winning. Last season, Verstappen won the race by overtaking Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas at the start of the race. Securing an early-track position is crucial. Especially on a track like the one in Mexico, Hamilton was going to play catchup by starting the race on the second row.
2) A conservative tire choice at the start
The Mexican track typically rewards bold choices, and Mercedes had an excellent opportunity to pick up the team's first win of the season. This was why it was slightly strange for the team not to go on the offensive at the start of the race.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull were aggressive. They had secured an excellent track position, so the team and driver pushed to hold on to P1 by starting the race on soft tires.
“We are getting closer and closer, compared to where we were at the beginning of the season. We have moved forward."
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Mercedes, on the other hand, were defensive right away. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell started on mediums. Initially, the grip tends to fare better for the car on softer rubber, and Mercedes gave away that advantage to Verstappen.
With lights out, Max Verstappen predictably had the best start for the top three drivers. Despite giving the tow to the cars behind him, he could dictate the line he took into turn 1.
Could things have been different if Mercedes had gone aggressive with soft tires for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell? Maybe. But it would have allowed the two drivers to fight for the lead.
3) A lack of strategic urgency from Mercedes
As the race played out, a lack of urgency regarding the strategy was somewhat disappointing for Mercedes. The team was confident that the tires on Verstappen's car would eventually fall off, and they didn't bother with a contingency plan if it didn't happen.
Next up, Brasil. 
Two to go, Team. 👏 Next up, Brasil. 😍 https://t.co/PQ5UBMOvcQ
Mercedes, a car that has been notoriously kinder on its tires this season, got a medium-hard first and second stint, assuming that Red Bull will be forced to pit again. Even more confusing was the unwillingness to risk a strategy where George Russell would run a long first stint that opened up avenues for Hamilton.
Russell could have played the team game and held Verstappen in the lead while Lewis Hamilton closed up on hard tires. There could even have been a scenario where a late-race safety played into the hands of Russell, and he gained a free pitstop over the top 3.
Russell had nothing to lose, and he could have either brought Hamilton into contention for the win or tried something unconventional. Mercedes, however, were not flexible enough to try something different and let a sub-optimal strategy play itself out.
If Mercedes had been aggressive with its strategy, could it have won the race? In hindsight, it is impossible to predict, but there was a perfect shot at success. Nonetheless, an exciting strategy would have made the race more competitive between the two teams.
If Lewis Hamilton had made it to the front of the grid with Verstappen behind him, could he have won the race? On the Mexican track, where track position is crucial, it's safe to claim that Hamilton would've made it extremely difficult for Verstappen to clinch an easy win.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.