For years, Mercedes have been pros at playing the poker face game. Whether it’s progress or failure, the team is known to keep a straight face in all their responses. However, the ultimate secret surrounding Lewis Hamilton and his car has been brought to light.
Apparently, Hamilton’s pre-race habit could be seen as a warning to the rest of the grid. This information comes from Angela Cullen who spent 7 long years with the champ. The duo recently made public their decision to go separate ways prior to the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP. The split was amicable, and Cullen has now shifted her focus toward other ventures in her career.
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In an Instagram post before the qualifying session for the Australian GP Hamilton’s friend disclosed an intriguing technique for determining if the F1 champion is fully immersed in his element.
Angela Cullen spills the beans on Lewis Hamilton
The physio made an interesting observation of Hamilton’s tell during a session. “Watch for Lewis’ hands when he is sitting in the car in the garage, if they are dancing you know he is in the zone. You can have a perfect quali as a driver regardless of end position, that is the goal.”
The dancing hands did their magic amidst a tumultuous weekend in Melbourne. The British driver secured third place in the qualifying round, trailing behind his teammate George Russell in second.
A frenzy of events marked it, including the Australian GP deployment of multiple safety cars, red flags, and retirements. Regrettably, Russell was unable to continue racing and had to retire. Nonetheless, Hamilton persevered and secured his first podium finish of the season in P2.
Hamilton misses Cullen
Despite milestone P2, Hamilton was greeted by no one during the post-race celebrations. Usually, Hamilton runs into Angela Cullen’s arms after a successful race. However, this time, Hamilton was heard saying, “Where the f*ck is my team?”
Only one team member was there apart from Lewis's PR/Media officer.
This was Mercedes's first podium of 2023 , You can see AM mechanic in the background waiting for their driver 🫤 https://t.co/Tze5GMUJME pic.twitter.com/Aga4rMNFwj
— Tony ﾒ𝟶 (@AbelX0) April 2, 2023
Even in the post-race interview, Hamilton was heartbroken over his team’s absence. When asked what the result meant for the team, he replied, “I don’t know what it means to the team, ’cause I haven’t seen anybody.”
With the environment at Mercedes being a little icky than usual, these additional slip-ups will only build to the pressure. Regardless, as the car has begun to show some promise, surely the optimism will return to the Silver Arrows.
