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“The damage was going up and up!”: Mercedes trackside engineer reveals time lost by Lewis Hamilton due to front-wing damage caused by hitting Max Verstappen

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"The damage was going up and up!": Mercedes trackside engineer reveals time lost by Lewis Hamilton due to front-wing damage caused by hitting Max Verstappen

Andrew Shovlin says that Lewis Hamilton damaging his front wing on two separate occasions cost him a lot of time in Jeddah.

The inaugural Saudi Arabian GP was far from being a clean race. It was full of scraps and collisions, and we even saw the safety car deployed twice. One of the people who took damage under the lights in Jeddah was race winner Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton hit his front wing with another car on two separate occasions. During the second restart, his wing clipped the inside of Esteban Ocon’s Alpine. This led to minor damage to his car, but the worst was yet to come.

During lap 37, he ran into the back of title rival Max Verstappen who unexpectedly slowed down in the middle of the track. The Red Bull driver gave 1st place to the Briton but caught the latter off guard.

This resulted in crucial damage to his W12, but he could continue. The seven-time World Champion took the lead from Verstappen and brought home his 3rd consecutive race win.

After the race, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin revealed the extent of damage Hamilton’s car took. “The damage was going up and up!” said Shovlin.

“We started off with probably only about a tenth or two lost. After he got sandwiched and Esteban rode over it, we were quite lucky that it just seemed to hit the road. We lost a few bits, but it bounced back. No more damage.”

Also read: Nico Hulkenberg explains why Lewis Hamilton probably didn’t scoop past Max Verstappen and instead hit latter’s rear tyres

Regardless of the damage, Lewis Hamilton set another fastest lap

Hamilton won the race despite taking significant damage and set another quickest lap around the Jeddah Corniche circuit. That bonus point puts him on the level with Max Verstappen going into the last race of the year.

“After the incident with Max, we then lost the whole side of it, so you’re getting up nearer four-tenths of performance.” Shovlin continued. “He’s very determined. We were very much in two minds, as we were seeing other people struggling with the tyres.” he said.

“We could see that the wing was most definitely not guaranteed to stay on the car after the afternoon or the evening that it had had. It’s a difficult decision between, do you go for the point that Lewis knew would put him level, or do you play it safe?”

“Ultimately, Lewis was the one who took the decision and that decision was probably aided by the fact he can’t actually see that. Because if he was watching the TV like we were, he may have thought better of it!” he concluded.

Also read: Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko accuses FIA of favoring the Silver Arrows after a series of controversial verdicts at the Saudi Arabian GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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