Photo: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Lewis Hamilton in 2022, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion suffering another frustrating race, this time in Monaco where he finished P8. However, according to team principal Toto Wolff, the “pendulum” will soon wing in Hamilton’s favor, ending his string of bad luck.
So far though, it’s been George Russell who has performed best at Mercedes, having finished in the top five in every race so far this year. Russell is currently fourth in the 2022 Drivers' Standings with 84 points, while Hamilton is sixth with just 50. Still, Wolff claims that despite the points differential, his drivers are “very much on the same pace.”
“I think when you look at the bad spells that Lewis had – I mean look at the race today, stuck again, contact with Esteban [Ocon], stuck behind Fernando [Alonso],” said the Mercedes team boss. “The red flag yesterday in qualifying and then you know what happens in races before. I think the pendulum will swing so that these unlucky situations will stop with Lewis.”
Wolff went on to say that Hamilton could have closed in on Lando Norris in Monaco, at least that’s what the data shows.
“He could have been right there and closed on Lando’s [Norris] pit stop window or even fight with George and Lando in the front because that was his pace. They are very much on the same pace, one practice the one leads, then the other, and that is great how also they work together to get our car straight, because we need to get that car straight.”
In terms of overall performance, Wolff says that his team is clearly the third-fastest on the grid, while also acknowledging that the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari is quite sizable – between five and eight tenths.
“I think when you look at the bad spells that Lewis had – I mean look at the race today, stuck again, contact with Esteban [Ocon], stuck behind Fernando [Alonso],” said the Mercedes team boss. “The red flag yesterday in qualifying and then you know what happens in races before. I think the pendulum will swing so that these unlucky situations will stop with Lewis.”
Wolff went on to say that Hamilton could have closed in on Lando Norris in Monaco, at least that’s what the data shows.
“He could have been right there and closed on Lando’s [Norris] pit stop window or even fight with George and Lando in the front because that was his pace. They are very much on the same pace, one practice the one leads, then the other, and that is great how also they work together to get our car straight, because we need to get that car straight.”
In terms of overall performance, Wolff says that his team is clearly the third-fastest on the grid, while also acknowledging that the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari is quite sizable – between five and eight tenths.
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