Lewis Hamilton will find 2018 battle with Ferrari and Red Bull tougher - F1 expert
LEWIS HAMILTON will not have it all his own way next year.
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That's according to F1 expert James Allen, who's tipping Ferrari and Red Bull to fight the Mercedes man for the title.
Hamilton wrapped up the fourth World Drivers' Championship of his career in October after a season-long battle with pit-lane rival Sebastian Vettel.
And he did so after harnessing the power of an unpredictable Mercedes, which he's admitted was a tough task.
Allen expects Hamilton to be there or thereabouts once again come the end of the 2018 F1 campaign.
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He reckons the likes of Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo will provide a stern test though.
"Hamilton is in a good place, especially having worked to overcome difficulties with the setup of the Mercedes in the first half of the season," Allen wrote on Motorsport.com.
"And with a team-mate [Valtteri Bottas] whose inconsistency will always undermine a title campaign, he has another exciting year ahead of fighting against Ferrari and Red Bull.
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"I think he may find the 2018 title harder to win."
Hamilton and co. kick off the 2018 F1 season at the Australian Grand Prix next March.
Mercedes have the Constructors' Championship to defend as well.