The Turkish Grand Prix is full of mixed emotions for Mercedes. While Valtteri Bottas showcased a commanding performance to secure his first win of the season. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton, who is aiming for a record eighth championship title, crossed the chequered flag at P5 and lost his lead in the driver’s championship.
During the closing stages of the race, the Briton was running strong at P3 just behind his arch-rival, Max Verstappen. But as Lewis Hamilton was on an older set of intermediate tires, he was losing 1.5 seconds with each lap, and with just eight laps to go Mercedes pit wall forced the seven-time champion to pit.
As a result, Lewis Hamilton, who was in favor of going long, ended fifth as he cannot take advantage of new tires due to heavy graining. And because of the tussle between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes pit wall over the radio, Valtteri Bottas’ win was overshadowed. As the maximum number of questions asked in the post-race conference were related to Hamilton’s poor pit stop strategy.
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Meanwhile, Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, calls out the reporter for not talking about Valtteri Bottas’ win.
Watch Story: Verstappen the Big Winner as Hamilton Loses Out at Turkish F1 Grand Prix
What did Toto Wolff in conversation with a reporter after Valtteri Bottas’ win?
After the race, Mercedes’ boss was doing post-race media duties. And after answering several questions, the F1 reporter wished him luck for the next race in Austin. However, Wolff was surprised by the fact that no one wants to talk about Valtteri’s win who has not put a foot wrong the entire weekend.
“Yeah, but aren’t we talking about Valtteri’s win? No one talks about the fact we’ve won,” said Toto Wolff after the reporter neglected to ask about Bottas’ win.
Wolff not ruling out another engine penalty for Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton served a 10-place grid penalty at the recently concluded Turkish Grand Prix for changing the internal combustion system of his power unit. Meanwhile, Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, is not ruling out another engine penalty for the Briton before the end of the season.
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As quoted by Planet F1, when asked if Hamilton’s fourth engine can last until the end of the season, Toto Wolff said: “Yes, but there could be a moment when you say ‘is it worth taking a fresh one because the other one is still at risk’, so this is something that will be really a work in progress.”
“I would very much hope not, but there are seven tough races in front of us. Let’s see how the points pan out and I would never say no. But normally, four engines looks quite sufficient,” concluded Wolff.
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Read More: Bottas’ Gains Over Championship Protagonists Verstappen-Hamilton Since Alfa Romeo F1 Announcement
With six races left this season, can Lewis Hamilton finish this season without taking any further engine penalties? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.