Bitter F1 smack for Hamilton
Mercedes is already giving up in the World Championship fight
4/9/2022, 1:01 p.m
Only two races have been driven in Formula 1 this season, but Mercedes is already giving up. The racing team cannot get involved in the fight for the world title, says team manager Toto Wolff soberly. Instead, prepare for the coming year in the long term – with Lewis Hamilton.
The third race of this year’s Formula 1 season hasn’t even started yet, but Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has already given up the fight for the world championship. He writes off the eighth world title for record world champion Lewis Hamilton: “Lewis is dealing with it positively, we’re trying to build each other up. In the end, we probably won’t be able to compete for the world title this season, but it won’t be his last year be,” said the Austrian after qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Sky.
“We have to see the race weekends as a test that we’ll be back next year.” It’s the new grim reality for the team, which has celebrated eight straight constructors’ titles. Mercedes is following the rule reform this 2022 season.
“I think we overperformed,” said Wolff after qualifying for fifth and sixth for Hamilton and his teammate George Russell. No grid positions for tomorrow’s race (7 a.m. CET/Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) to cheer – and yet better than expected. Because without the crash of Alpine driver Fernando Alonso shortly before the end and the weak and unfortunate drive of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari (9th), the Silver Arrows would only have landed further behind. Mercedes is at best the third force behind Ferrari and Red Bull.
“It won’t be his last year”
“We’re heavy, we’re overweight, we don’t understand the car,” said Wolff after this qualification. “Q3 is what we wanted to achieve,” he stated soberly. In addition, Mercedes has not found a solution in Melbourne that reduces bouncing.
Wolff changed his mind very quickly, even before leaving for Australia he had made a fight announcement: “In Austria you only give up a letter.” But even in Melbourne, Mercedes was nowhere near as fast as Charles Leclerc’s top time. He had put in a great lap in the Ferrari and overtook Max Verstappen, who had meanwhile been leading. Hamilton was almost a second short of Leclerc’s 1:17.868 minutes (+0.957 seconds).
Despite his long hesitation before the season and the guesswork about a contract extension, Wolff apparently believes that the Briton will remain in Formula 1. Hamilton had recently spoken about “massive mental” problems, the drama at last year’s season finale continues to gnaw and even now things are not going well. “It won’t be his last year” is almost the best thing that can be said about Mercedes and Hamilton at the moment.