“Lewis Hamilton Is Being Slightly Harsh on Himself”: Mercedes Star Told Not to be Apologetic for His Collision With George Russell

It was looking like a promising day of racing for the Mercedes car before Lewis Hamilton unfortunately collided with George Russell at Turn 1 of Lap 1 of the Qatar GP. The collision sent Hamilton spinning out on the gravel trap, and the damages meant there was going to be no more racing for the British driver. An infuriated first response soon became an apologetic take as Hamilton spoke to the media after the race. However, F1 expert Martin Brundle feels the 7-time world champion is being too hard on himself.

Experts and Pundits suggest it was the lack of grip of the soft tires on a dusty, sandy track that led to the collision between the teammates. Nonetheless, Brundle labels it a racing incident as he shows empathy towards the senior Mercedes driver and wants Hamilton to go easy on himself following an unfortunate incident.

Lewis Hamilton advised not to be too sorry about the Qatar GP incident

Starting the race right behind Max Verstappen in Qatar, the Mercedes drivers would have wanted to lock out the maximum points possible from the race. With Hamilton opting to start the race on faster tires as compared to Russell, there should’ve been the understanding between the two that Hamilton would be quicker off the line. The same question presented itself to Martin Brundle during Spotify’s F1: Chequered Flag Podcast, to which the 64-year-old replied that he felt Hamilton was being a bit too hard on himself.

“I think Lewis [Hamilton] is being potentially slightly hard on himself there.”

“I do see it as a racing incident, I don’t think there’s anywhere that George [Russell] could’ve gone. He had Max Verstappen to the inside of him, and I think it’s very sporting of Lewis to send that tweet out.”

 

I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and to George.

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 8, 2023

Brundle added the apology could have been an act of keeping a positive environment within the Silver Arrows garage, especially since the team lost out on vital points in the constructor’s championship. With Carlos Sainz not starting the race in Qatar, Mercedes had a distinct advantage over Ferrari and could have earned a massive lead over them in the constructor’s championship. However, the advantage faded mere meters into the race as Hamilton’s DNF meant only one Mercedes car would be out on the track.

Russell’s race got tougher after Hamilton’s crash

Starting the race in P2, George Russell had a major advantage over the rest of the field and vied for a podium finish. However, as the first turn approached, Russell found himself at the bottom of the barrel, as his car spun out of control following the collision. For the next 56 laps, Russell had an uphill battle facing him as he had to drive in extreme conditions, under added pressure, to ensure the best possible finish for his team.

 

A frustrated George Russell… enter Toto Wolff #F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/GDjwx9pooV

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2023

As the safety car came out, Russell pitted to be on undamaged mediums and continued racing. Given the same, Brundle and Co. believe had there been no damage to Russell’s car, the 25-year-old had a shot at securing a podium finish in Qatar. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as despite overtaking almost the entire grid, Russell did not have enough pace left in the car to get the better of the McLarens. In the end, Russell secured P4 while McLaren, once again, locked out two-thirds of the podium.