Lewis Hamilton criticised himself after the Italian GP qualifying. The Briton was furious at the mistakes he made during the final lap in Q3 and suggested that he had the car to put it on pole. Toto Wolff then came out hoping that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli take notes from the 7x champion’s behavior.
According to Formule1.nl, Wolff detailed the reason behind Hamilton’s self-criticism as he said, “I think the great quality of a champion is to look at himself first and say, ‘What did I do wrong?’ before looking elsewhere.”
: Toto Wolff praises Lewis Hamilton’s self-critical approach, calling it a “great characteristic” that will shape his legacy at Mercedes. Wolff believes Hamilton’s ability to first analyze his own performance sets a strong example for George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli,… pic.twitter.com/Gj25SRukfL
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The Mercedes team principal added, “I think that’s what he’s doing, trying to analyze where he can improve himself, and then thinking where else their performance was on the table from the team. He’s been very strong in that, also as a role model for George and even for Kimi.”
Blaming himself, the Briton explained how qualifying has been his weakness in recent times. Hamilton added that the team deserved better and that maybe they’ll get it with Antonelli stepping in for him next year.
The Mercedes prodigy was announced as the Briton’s replacement the very same weekend. Although the reports pre-empted the announcement, it seemed unlikely following Antonelli’s crash in the FP1 session. Regardless, Hamilton’s future boss saw Hamilton’s self-doubt a long way back.
Vasseur Claimed Self-doubt as Hamilton’s Secret Strength
Vasseur knew Hamilton from the F2 days as the Briton drove for the Frenchman’s team ART Grand Prix. The Ferrari TP recognized Hamilton’s talent early and signed him within a year of joining the Scuderia.
Speaking on the Red Flags podcast in 2022, Vasseur said, “I remember Lewis perfectly in F3, F2, he was the guy who told me most often – ‘I had a poor drive.’” Vasseur continued, “You need to be very self-confident to be able to say ‘I did a poor job’. ‘I’m still the best one don’t worry, but I did a poor job today.’”
Most of the modern-day F1 drivers like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are slammed for being super self-critical. However, according to Vasseur, it is a sign of a great driver.
