Lewis Hamilton claims George Russell’s Austrian GP victory a “well deserved reward” for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton was glad to see George Russell clinch victory at the Austrian GP.

Lewis Hamilton claims George Russell’s Austrian GP victory a “well deserved reward” for Mercedes

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

Mercedes’ George Russell won the 2024 Austrian GP and it was a surprising win, after the incident with the front runners. Lewis Hamilton who secured fourth position applauded his teammate and clapped for him in the car.

Lewis Hamilton expressed satisfaction for his teammate after the race. He congratulated teammate George Russell for winning the race. Hamilton thanked the team who work in Mercedes’ factories in Brackley and Brixworth, as they had put in a lot of effort to improve the car’s performance. The seven-time world champion felt that their hard work is paying off as they get closer to becoming the best. The Briton reckoned, that the result they achieved in Austria was a well-deserved reward for all the team’s dedication.

Congratulations to George and the team. Everyone at Brackley and Brixworth really deserves this result. They have worked so hard to bring performance to the car and we are starting to get us closer and closer to the very front. We put in so much effort so to get a result like this is a well-deserved reward for everyone's efforts.
Lewis Hamilton said
YouTube video

Lewis Hamilton reflected on his own performance, noting it hadn’t been the smoothest weekend for him. He mentioned he had faced damage to his car early in the race, which had affected his overall performance. Despite the setback, Hamilton persevered through the challenges, highlighting his determination on track. He expressed optimism about learning from the experience to come back stronger in the next race.

FS Video
From my side, it wasn't the cleanest weekend. I picked up some damage early on and that compromised my race, unfortunately.
Lewis Hamilton added

Lewis Hamilton explained the reason for going wide at Turn 1

After the race, Lewis Hamilton explained he had damaged his car during an intense battle with Carlos Sainz on lap 19. This collision left a mark on Hamilton’s car which was pretty huge hole in the sidepod. This situation resulted in Hamilton having difficulty controlling his car, causing him to run wide at Turn 1 on the track.

I had some damage on the car. I think Sainz and I touched, there’s a mark on the side of the car so… which is why I went wide at Turn 1.
Lewis Hamilton explained
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton (Via: Imago)

Despite the setback, Hamilton expressed optimism for the upcoming race at Silverstone, which is very special due to its atmosphere and the support of fans. He anticipated a better performance there compared to Austria, believing the track’s characteristics might favor his car more. Hamilton decided to move on from what happened in Austria and shifted his focus forward to see what they can achieve in upcoming race weekends.

We now look ahead to Silverstone. It is always such a special weekend, and I can't wait to see all the fans there. It is a track that should hopefully suit us a little better than here in Austria so let's see what we can do.
Lewis Hamilton said

Certainly, Lewis Hamilton claims it was not a smooth weekend for him despite securing fourth position. However, he expressed satisfaction as his teammate Russell won the race and earned crucial points to reduce the gap of constructors championship. Fans were delighted to witness the surprising win of Russell and hopes for the similar performance in Silverstone as it’s Mercedes home race.

In case you missed it: