In an attempt to move Mercedes back to the top of the podium, George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, giving Lewis Hamilton hope to follow suit before he departs for Ferrari.
Toto Wolff is still optimistic that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will triumph one more before their collaboration comes to an end.
After 11 years of racing for the team, Hamilton is departing for Ferrari at the end of this season. However, his last few years have not lived up to the remainder of that trophy-filled run, and he hasn’t won a race since 2021.
Since then, the Silver Arrows have had two victories. In addition to defeating his teammate in Brazil in 2022, George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday by capitalizing on the retirements of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
That explosion ahead of him was good for him because he was in third place. Hamilton finished fourth, one position ahead of Verstappen but one spot outside the podium, having been running sixth at the time.
However, team owner Wolff is sure that the 39-year-old is signed and has one more win left in him before he moves on to new opportunities. “He has had a bad spell and, as a racing driver, it can be mind-crushing if you feel that you are not able to deliver your best performances,” the Austrian remarked of Hamilton.
“I just saw him. He must experience this. He hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to drive in this position; rather, everything has fallen into place. He did a fantastic job in the Barcelona race. We’re going to win a race with him this year; we just need to get through this.”
Even after starting the race two positions behind his teammate on the grid, Hamilton had a tough race on Sunday. Reporters were informed by Wolff that the seven-time Formula One champion had floor damage during the Grand Prix, which hindered his progress.
Indeed, it was one of his rough days, he admitted. A fair enough start, but it was unfair to give the spot back at turn one, lap one. However, it was very obvious that failing to comply would result in a 10-second penalty. Subsequently, it began to spiral. He lost the rear after exerting a great deal of force on the entry, as you can see, and the subsequent penalty was unavoidable.
READ ALSO: Lewis Hamilton refuses to sign F1 fan’s helmet as reason for awkward snub emerges
In addition, we had considerable floor damage from the kerb ride—I suppose most people have had this—because of it. The portion that broke off on the curb was two and a half tenths in size.”
Regarding his personal day, Hamilton stated: “It’s quite surprising, but I’m really happy for the team.” George and the staff deserve a lot of congratulations because everyone in the factory has worked extremely hard to achieve this outcome. I’ve been acting really shittish this weekend. It’s simply generally slow, not for want of effort. Simply unacceptable.”
