Toto Wolff calls Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s Qatar GP drama as ‘frustrating’ as it cost Mercedes a lot of points

Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Qatar GP on the very first lap of the race.

Toto Wolff calls Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s Qatar GP drama as ‘frustrating’ as it cost Mercedes a lot of points

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff (Via IMAGO)

The 2023 Qatar GP has become a thing of the past, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has not shied away from bringing it back into the limelight. His drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, collided on the first lap of the race, and this has not sat well with the Austrian. Wolff feels Mercedes lost out on several points because of his two driver’s on-track antics.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell started the race at the Lusail International Circuit in close quarters of Max Verstappen. While the latter two were on medium tires, Hamilton was on softs, and that gave him extra grip at the start in comparison. However, while going into Turn 1, Hamilton’s car made contact with Russell’s W14, and that turned out to be the end of the race for the former.

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Toto Wolff was not at the track during the Qatar GP weekend but has recently made his frustration known. While shedding light on the exploits of his two drivers during the main race, he said, as reported by F1.com “The last round in Qatar was a case of what might have been. As a team, you never want to see your cars collide. It was frustrating to leave a lot of points on the table, particularly as the car’s pace was strong.”

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Looking at the comments of the Mercedes team principal, it is quite clear that he is not happy with how his drivers raced each other at the Lusail International Circuit. He ardently believes that had both of his cars managed to cross the chequered flag, Mercedes would have scored bulk points and would have been in a better position ahead of this week’s race.

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Toto Wolff and Co. have got Ferrari right on their tails

While Toto Wolff is disappointed with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s antics at the Lusail International Circuit, most of his displeasure could have stemmed from Ferrari is not too far behind Mercedes in the 2023 Constructors Championship. The two have been in an intense battle for second place for quite some time.

Toto Wolff and Mercedes crew working on Lewis Hamilton's W14
Toto Wolff and Mercedes crew working on Lewis Hamilton’s W14 (Credits: IMAGO)

As things stand, the Brackley-based team has managed 326 points in the ongoing season, whereas Charles Leclerc and Co. are currently on 290 points. The gap between the two is not huge, and considering this, Mercedes can’t afford to have another crash between its two drivers. Only five races are remaining this year.

The US GP is just a few days away, and the track characteristics of the COTA circuit could help Mercedes turn up well during the upcoming race weekend. Mercedes desperately needs to finish in second place in the Constructors Championship, but Ferrari will not go away without giving them a serious fight.

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