Lewis Hamilton Piles More Pressure on Teammate Bottas After Wolff’s Criticism in Mexico

Max Verstappen has made it back-to-back victories in Formula One after winning the Mexico GP. The Red Bull driver started the race from P3 after a disappointing qualifying performance on Saturday. But made a mega start off the line and past both Bottas and Lewis Hamilton to lead the race going into Turn 1.

Verstappen in the post-race press conference stated that he got a very good slipstream from Bottas at the start to move ahead. His championship rival, Lewis Hamilton, did not have an answer as to why his teammate did not close the gap to Max at the start. But Hamilton stated he did his job of keeping one Red Bull behind, but was not sure why Bottas did not do the same.

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I’d envisaged it differently: Lewis Hamilton

As reported by Formula1.com, the Mercedes driver explained the plan he had envisaged for the start of the race. He also mentioned that he was alongside his teammate through the straight so could not get the slipstream.

“Yeah, I mean I was… I’d envisaged it differently, naturally, in the sense that if Valtteri had maybe got a better start, then I would have tried to get into his tow,” said Lewis.

” But obviously I was alongside him, which was good, and then I was just covering my side of the track, making sure no-one could come up the inside, so I was trying to keep whichever Red Bull I could see in my mirror behind.

And I thought Valtteri would be doing the same–but obviously, he left the door open for Max and Max was on the racing line, so did a mega job braking into Turn 1. Because I’m on the inside and on the dirt, there was no hope for me.” said Hamilton.

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That should not happen: Toto Wolff

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff also questioned Bottas’s defending. He stated Max should not have gotten past them so easily when they had two cars in front of him.

“That should not happen. We had two cars in front and seemed to open up the sea for Max to come around the outside. Yeah, we even saw the spin afterward and a complete loss of points with Valtteri’s car when that could have been third or fourth is… annoying.” said the Austrian.

The win in Mexico takes Max Verstappen 19 points clear of Lewis Hamilton. It also helps Red Bull close the lead to 1 point in the constructor’s championship with 4 races to go.

Was Max’s move Bottas’s fault? Let us know.