Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff reveals the harsh reality after Lewis Hamilton's loss to Red Bull's Max Verstappen in a bid for another F1 title.
Entering the season's final race with tied points, Mercedes' star showcased a tremendous performance throughout the weekend. But despite leading for the entire race in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton badly lost his lead to Verstappen in the final lap. Nicholas Latifi crashed after battling it out with Mick Schumacher with just a few laps remaining—resulting in a safety car that affected the race's outcome. The five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were instructed to overtake the safety car, erasing the Brit's 11-second lead.
Verstappen, who had pitted before the last lap, opted for soft tyres, leading to a significant and fresh tyre advantage. The Dutchman didn't waste his time on the heart-racing final lap and immediately went for the title-winning overtake. Hamilton made a valiant effort before the last turn but controversially lost the race.
Both Wolff and Hamilton expressed their disappointment with the decision made by race stewards on radio, and it appears that the pain from the loss will not wither soon.
Via Al Jazeera
“It’s going to take a long time for us to digest what has happened on Sunday. I don’t think we will ever come over it, that’s not possible,” said Wolff.
“And certainly not him [Hamilton] as a driver. I would very much hope the two of us and the rest of the team we can work through the events… But he will never overcome the pain and the distress that was caused on Sunday.”
With Hamilton turning 37 soon, can he gain the confidence to fight for more F1 titles?
Follow Us
Subscribe