Some Formula 1 fans have recently claimed that a conspiracy is taking place at Mercedes to hurt Lewis Hamilton. One fan put up a post to suggest how the Silver Arrows took significantly more time for the 38-year-old’s pit stop as they did for George Russell’s. On reading the fan’s post, famous Red Bull employee Calum Nicholas has attempted to defend Mercedes’ pit crew.
Nicholas wants fans to appreciate the effort that the pit stop crews put in to change the tires in the shortest amount of time. The Red Bull employee’s post comes at a time when several have pointed out how the tensions at Mercedes are increasing because of the drivers’ tense team radios.
Following the conclusion of this past weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton explained in his post-race interview about why he was unhappy with the team’s strategy. The team had asked the Briton to give his compatriot Russell the DRS to protect the latter from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
However, Hamilton believes that this strategy made no sense. As quoted by racingnews365.com, Hamilton said, “I don’t think it was a good idea. When they suggested it to me, I knew that they obviously thought of it from the last race, and it made no sense. I needed to get as far clear ahead as possible“.
Red Bull employee defends Mercedes amid speculations of a rift in the team
Taking to social media, a fan named Eri seemed to suggest a conspiracy by pointing out how George Russell’s pit stop time was 1.1 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton’s. On reading the post, Red Bull employee Calum Nicholas was far from happy.
In reply, he wrote, “Oh, come on now. Do you know what it takes to get it right every single time? It’s a feat of human performance and pit crews have way too much pride to do what you’re suggesting. Don’t demonize people who are all working really hard, it’s not fair“.
However, Nicholas’ response did not satisfy one fan. The fan wanted to know Nicholas’ thoughts about the excess time that is lost in the pits. In reply, the Red Bull employee simply explained how difficult it is to perfect a pit stop.
“There are so many factors, including wheel nut and axle design, which are very hard to develop now with cost cap constraints,” Nicholas explained. While the Red Bull employee defended Mercedes, Hamilton is keen to seek answers about Russell’s intentions during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton says he will hold talks with George Russell
After finishing fifth at the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton said in his post-race interview that he will hold talks with George Russell to ensure that the two are on the same page. The 38-year-old stated that the only goal the two of them should have for this season is to help Mercedes finish second in the Constructors’ Championship.
“Well, for sure we’ll talk offline,” explained Hamilton in his post-race interview (as quoted by planetf1.com). “That’s the best way to do it. Our ultimate goal is to try and get ahead of the Ferraris and that’s what my goal was today“.
As things stand, Mercedes are currently second in the Constructors’ Championship with 305 points. They are 20 points clear of third-placed Ferrari, with six races remaining in the 2023 season.
