Mercedes’ resurgence seems a lost cause momentarily, as the troubles that arose after the 2021 ground effect regulation change have only worsened over time. And now, boss Toto Wolff is forced to resolve tense driver relationship between teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
A Ferrari bound Lewis Hamilton indirectly alleged preferential treatment to teammate and fellow British driver George Russell during the recently concluded Monaco Grand Prix as he failed to outqualify his teammate in qualifying. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has outright dismissed the claim citing transparent and fair team culture.
Mercedes Boss Disagrees With Lewis Hamilton’s Bold Qualifying Comment
Lewis Hamilton’s woes with his W15 were perpetuated in Monaco as the seven-time world champion couldn’t beat his teammate George Russell in the qualifying and subsequently had a bad race. However, it’s his post-race comments that generated a lot of buzz amongst the F1 community. Hamilton suggested that he does not see himself as being ahead of George in qualifying for the entire year. When pressed further to reveal why he thinks so, Hamilton gave a very sketchy look, which triggered speculations of preferential treatment. Notably, Lewis also revealed that only Russell had a new front wing for the weekend. But it was later clarified that the 39-year-old himself refused to have a new wing as a risk of damage in qualifying would have forced him to start the main race from the pitlane.
That being said, preferential treatment rumors inside the Mercedes camp have been active since Lewis Hamilton announced his impending Ferrari move. While Lewis wants to finish his tenure on a high, fans believe Toto Wolff and Co. are purposely sabotaging Lewis’ fairytale farewell. However, team principal Wolff has outright dismissed the claims. He said that it’s natural for drivers to be skeptical when they are not doing great compared to their teammates. However, within Mercedes, everything is transparent and fair, claimed Wolff. He added that over the years, the team has always demonstrated that balance can be achieved even with the two most fierce and completive drivers. Wolff assured that his team would work day and night to give both drivers the best possible cars. “We’re trying to do the best out of the relationship. And trying to maximise the results for what is the final season,” Wolff said.
George Russell Says Lewis Hamilton Agreed To Let Him Use New Front Wing
After Toto Wolff, George Russell came out to call out Lewis Hamilton’s lies about preferential treatment. While speaking to Channel 4, Russell revealed that Mercedes had only one front wing for the weekend. And hence, they decided to do a coin toss to determine who could have it before Lewis rejected the idea.
George Russell explained that Lewis Hamilton had tested the front wing on the simulator and was skeptical about its usage. Hence, he agreed to let Russell have it as he didn’t want the risk of damage in qualifying, which essentially means that one has to start the main race from the pitlane.
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