“Thought I Would Have the Same Tires as George”: Did Mercedes Sabotage Lewis Hamilton’s Canadian GP Podium?

There has been a lot of chatter recently about a deteriorating relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. The recent Canadian GP might’ve been the most evident statement by the Silver Arrows yet that the Briton is no longer their main priority. But is it just a matter of prioritizing their future with George Russell, or are there more sinister undertones?

A step-by-step breakdown of the Canadian GP weekend, from Hamilton‘s lens, paints a pretty convincing picture of a possible sabotage. The weekend started on a promising note for the #44 driver who was now driving an upgraded W15 with a brand-new front wing. He went on to top FP3 and was beaming with positive feedback about how the car was handling.

‼️Sir Lewis Hamilton asked “take us through those last laps fighting with george for that podium position..”

Lewis : “i didn’t know that…i didn’t know that we were both…i didn’t know that he would be going on to a medium tyre. if i would’ve known that, i would’ve stayed out… pic.twitter.com/axcnhDnmeQ

— sim (@sim3744) June 10, 2024

But come Qualifying, the Briton seemingly lost confidence in the car instantly. Perplexed at first, Hamilton later insinuated negligence on the part of the team. According to Formula Passion, Hamilton blamed the tire-warmers. He later learned that his tires were 2-3 degrees cooler, on each set than the optimal operating temperature.

This comprised his final Q3 push for pole. His teammate, Russell bagged a stunning pole position. Hamilton on the other hand could only muster P7. But despite this result, he was looking on course for a redeeming podium – his first of this season, before a call on the pit wall doomed his chances.

It’s radio silence from a disappointed Lewis in Canada ️❌#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/eOG9mBnWHq

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 10, 2024

During the second Safety Car period, Mercedes decided to pit both their drivers. With only 10-odd laps to go, Russell was given the yellow-walled medium tires. Hamilton was serviced, surprisingly, with a set of hards.

The Briton was convinced that this is what led to him missing out on the podium to his teammate – by just six-tenths of a second. He later claimed, “Am I penalized by tire choice? Yes, if I had known that I would have been fitted with Hard tires, I would have stayed out. I thought I would have the same tires as George.”

Is Mercedes sabotaging Lewis Hamilton?

It seems that recently Hamilton has been on the receiving end of some questionable strategy calls from the Mercedes pit wall. The preceding race weekend on the streets of Monte Carlo also saw Hamilton being disadvantaged by a bizarre strategy call.

A failed undercut led to Toto Wolff admitting they had made a mistake. Surely, they would not repeat such a call again. Hamilton’s credentials on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve cannot be questioned. He secured his maiden pole and victory in Montreal. Since then, he’s gone on to score seven victories and ten podiums.

But even after the Canadian GP, the Austrian did not have an answer to why Hamilton fell off a cliff after such a promising preface to the main Grand Prix. In any case, paddock chatter is just paddock chatter. However, Hamilton’s words seem to indicate a rift between the seven-time world champion and his team.

Could it just be a patch of bad luck and unfortunate coincidences for the #44 driver, or is Mercedes really out there trying to sabotage the Briton’s last season with the Silver Arrows?