Lewis Hamilton was on the receiving end of a stern radio communication from his team principal, Toto Wolff. In the aftermath of a vexing Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton’s grievances about the drivability of the W14 were met with a resolute response from his boss.
Starting from the fifth position on the grid, Hamilton swiftly manoeuvred past Lando Norris in the opening corner, further mounting pressure on Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
As the race progressed, the Mercedes driver encountered difficulties in advancing further, finding himself predominantly occupied with fending off his fellow Briton—a reminiscent duel reminiscent of their clash in the 2022 competition.
His frustration reached boiling point as brake issues hindered his pace, compelling him to utilize every inch of the track to avoid losing precious time.
To compound matters, Hamilton incurred a five-second penalty for surpassing track limits on more than three occasions, receiving a black and white flag from race control.
In the aftermath of the penalty he received, Hamilton persistently voiced his dissatisfaction, directing his frustration at fellow drivers who were seemingly guilty of similar infractions, with particular emphasis on Red Bull’s Perez.
“Perez is going off at turn 10, if they’re noting everyone they might as well know,” he said.
“Perez off again, has he got a penalty yet? This guy’s going off every single time!”
Subsequently, when instructed to keep his car within the confines of the track, Hamilton promptly retorted: “I can’t keep it on the track, the car won’t turn.”
Throughout the race, the seven-time world champion persistently lamented the inadequate speed of his W14, ultimately slipping from fourth to seventh position.
However, Wolff, unwilling to entertain further complaints over the airwaves, delivered a direct message to the seven-time world champion driver, ending his tirade.
“Lewis, the car is bad, we know. Please drive it,” said Wolff depicting the frustration from the Mercedes Team Principal.
In his post-race reflections, following his seventh-place finish, Hamilton expressed his thoughts: “Well done guys today, great job with the pitstops, sorry I couldn’t get any higher but the car was really hard to drive today.”
