Hamilton gets angry on the radio and then apologizes, Wolff takes on the role of “garbage bag”
The Dutch Grand Prix could have seen Lewis Hamilton win for the first time this season. But a very enigmatic choice made him lose his first place and the podium, ultimately finishing in 4th.
Lewis Hamilton started from 4th position behind the two Ferraris. He was having a pretty good race and was even in the top 3 with 20 laps to go.
A first race incident slowed down his momentum. Tsunoda’s pit stop, as he thought he had a loose tire. This stop required the virtual safety car to be deployed, which allowed leader Verstappen to pit and come out with hard tires.
Second twist with this time Bottas abandoning the race and being forced to stop on the track. This time, the safety car comes out. Hamilton then takes the lead of the race. On the next lap, while the FIA asks the drivers to pass through the pit lane due to the straight being blocked by the tow truck and Bottas, Hamilton doesn’t take advantage of it to change his tires. His team takes the risk of finishing the remaining 14 laps with worn medium tires. Russell and Verstappen, on the other hand, will pit to switch to soft tires for the end of the race.
(I) I can’t believe how much you fucking messed with me! I can’t even tell you how angry I am! » Hamilton rants on the radio.
The British driver saw himself overtaking Verstappen, Russell, and Leclerc successively to ultimately finish 4th. A terrible disappointment for him, as he already imagined winning his first Grand Prix of the season in front of Verstappen’s home crowd.
After the race, Hamilton thanked his mechanics and apologized for his remarks during the press conferences.
To all the mechanics, thank you for all the fantastic work. We had the best pit stops of the year. Thank you for all of it! We keep pushing.
He passed off this mistake due to his frustration of not having won in a long time now. His last victory dates back to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on December 5, 2021.
Firstly, I am a fighter, and we haven’t won in so long. My heart wanted it and today was a painful experience. But I want to apologize to the team for the words I said. (…) The strategy worked well up until that last moment. Without that safety car, I don’t know if we could have won… But we will have a victory this year. I am certain of it.
Hamilton will have the opportunity to redeem himself next week at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
His team director, Toto Wolff, explained that the team was sometimes like a vomit bag and served as a vent during the race.
« You are on edge during a race, I am too. When you are the driver, you are even more emotional. You can’t control it. » Wolff commented.
We are a trash bag; a vomit bag on an airplane and we take all of it because we have to. This has always been the case between a frustrated driver and his radio.
