Lewis Hamilton believes the FIA ought to introduce a date for when F1 groups are allowed to start work on their subsequent 12 months’s automotive to attempt to stop one crew getting or holding an enormous benefit.

Red Bull are up to now unbeaten in 2023, claiming victory in all eight grands prix plus the one Sprint up to now this 12 months. Max Verstappen holds a 69-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez on the high of the Drivers’ Championship with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso an additional 9 factors again. Hamilton is 93 factors behind the Dutchman.

In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull maintain a 154-point lead over Hamilton’s Mercedes crew in second.

Mercedes have secured podium finishes within the final two races in Barcelona and Canada, and Hamilton thinks they’ll catch Red Bull on observe earlier than the tip of the season, however solely because of the reigning champions having the ability to change focus to their 2024 automotive given their benefit in 2023.

Hamilton wish to see a rule launched to forestall groups having the ability to change to growing their subsequent automotive too early within the season.

“The car (Mercedes’ W14) is moving in the right direction. I think ultimately it’s likely that – bit by bit – by the end of the year we will probably catch Red Bull, but that’s only because they’re probably already focusing on next year’s car because they’re so far ahead,” Hamilton informed Sky Sports on the Austrian GP.

“They do not need to make any modifications to this 12 months’s automotive any extra as they’re up to now forward. He’s cruising at 100 factors forward of us.

“I think the FIA should probably put a time when everyone is allowed to start developing on the next year’s car. So August 1, that’s when everybody can start so then no one can get an advantage on the next year, cause that sucks.

“It would make more sense. They should. Say for example you start the season and you know you have a bad car, you can just say I’m not going to bother developing this car and put all this money into next year’s car and have an advantage.”

Mercedes have been the earlier crew to beat in F1, successful eight consecutive world championships from 2014 to 2021, and Hamilton believes such a rule change would assist stop lengthy durations of domination by one crew which the game has seen over time.

When pushed on Mercedes’ earlier means to do what Red Bull now can, Hamilton replied: “We never started as early as them. That’s why I’m saying it needs to change – because that’s why you have dominance for so long, and they keep allowing it to happen.

“Ferrari was forward and the identical factor occurred there, when Red Bull have been forward with Seb [Vettel] again within the day, they begin earlier so that they’re all the time forward.”

Elaborating on his proposal, Hamilton said: “I used to be actually lucky to have a kind of durations, Max is having it now, however with the way in which it is going it should proceed to occur time and again and I do not assume we want that within the sport.

“If everyone had a cut-off time, then no one has a head start and it’s a real race in that short space of time for the future car. Maybe that would help everyone be more on a level the following year.

“I may be fallacious, however one thing has acquired to vary…it might be cool to see within the subsequent 20 years that we do not have big bands of time the place one crew lead too far forward, as a result of we need to see higher racing.”

Verstappen: ‘Life is unfair, just have to deal with it’

Championship chief Verstappen was unimpressed by Hamilton’s feedback after they have been later put to him by Sky Sports F1 within the FIA press convention.

“Life is unfair, as well. So it’s not only in Formula 1,” Verstappen mentioned.

“A lot of things in life are unfair so we just have to deal with it.”

Verstappen added to Sky Sports News: “We weren’t talking about that when [Lewis] was winning his championships, right? So I don’t think we should now.

“That’s how Formula 1 works. When you have got a aggressive automotive it is nice, however at one level in fact you additionally need to sit up for the following 12 months.

“It’s normal people behind us say these kinds of things but they should also not forget when they were winning how it was looking, and if people would comment this kind of thing then probably they would comment a bit different, but that’s how it goes in Formula 1.”

Hamilton: Cost-cap penalty ‘did not value Red Bull something’

With Red Bull having such a bonus within the championship already and having the ability to change focus to their 2024 automotive so early within the season, it raises questions over the influence of the aero testing penalty they obtained for breaching the fee cap throughout the 2021 marketing campaign.

Red Bull got an additional 10 per cent discount in aero testing time – on high of their handicap for being constructors’ champions – which runs till October this 12 months.

Hamilton feels the discount had subsequent to no influence on Red Bull’s efficiency, saying: “I don’t think (the penalty) cost them anyways.

“The penalty did not value them something. It positively, positively did not, it was so small.”

At the Canadian GP, Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache explained to Sky Sports F1 when the team would feel the effects of the penalty.

Wache said: “Every time when you have got a restriction it impacts you. We have a restriction as a result of we have been successful the championship final 12 months and we’re nonetheless main.

“Is the 10 per cent (further) reduction affecting us in the number of runs we are doing? We do less [sic] tests, less development but we have to be even more efficient in the way we work.

“For sure it will affect the performance of the end of the year car and next year.

“The constructive of it’s that it’s possibly growing even higher processes within the system and motivation within the crew. When the system is in opposition to you, it is attention-grabbing to see that it impacts you in some good methods.

“I try to see the positives of it but it’s clear it’s affecting us.”

Hamilton: I’d reasonably win championship subsequent 12 months than win race in 2023

Hamilton has not received a race because the penultimate spherical of the 2021 season on the Saudi Arabian GP and final season was the primary time he had failed to assert a victory throughout his F1 profession.

Mercedes are introducing one other “larger” improve at subsequent weekend’s British GP and could have additional updates earlier than the August summer season break.

While Hamilton feels the small steps Mercedes are making will put him ready to doubtlessly problem for wins because the season wears on, he desires the Silver Arrows to deal with delivering a title-contending automotive in 2024.

“I’m trying to win a race. I really have no idea. It depends where the car goes, I think we’ll hopefully get close. But I can’t predict what Aston are going to do, what Ferrari are going to do, where Red Bull will be.

“I hope so (can win a race this 12 months) however I additionally hope we do not focus an excessive amount of on successful a race this 12 months. I care much less to win a race this 12 months and extra to win the championship subsequent 12 months.”

Sky Sports F1’s reside Austrian GP schedule

Friday June 30
8.50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Austrian GP Practice (session begins 12.30)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.30pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Austrian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 1
8.55am: F3 Sprint
10.30am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Austrian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: F2 Sprint
2.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: Austrian GP Sprint
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 2
7.20am: F3 Feature Race
8.50am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Austrian GP build-up
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP response
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Red Bull search to proceed their successful run in 2023 as they return to their dwelling observe for the Austrian GP – watch reside on Sky Sports F1 from June 30-July 2. Get Sky Sports