F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Reveals 'Extensive' Austrian GP Hindrance

Lewis Hamilton faced multiple setbacks during the Austrian Grand Prix, leading to a fourth-place finish.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain speaks during media availabilities at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton encountered significant setbacks at the Austrian Grand Prix, culminating in a fourth-place finish. Despite beginning from a promising fifth position on the grid and initially overtaking Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, a series of mishaps, including a penalty and car damage, hampered his performance.

The race began strongly for Hamilton, who made a notable pass on Sainz at the first corner. However, the joy was short-lived as Mercedes instructed him to give back the position to Sainz, aligning with race regulations to avoid a penalty. Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff commented to the media after the race, as quoted by F1i.com:

“Yeah, it was one of his bad days. A pretty decent start and then Turn 1, Lap 1, giving the position back was a harsh thing. But it was pretty clear that we wouldn’t be getting a 10-second penalty by not doing it.

“Then it started to spiral. He pushed very hard on the entry, you can see how much he pushed, lost the rear and then obviously the next penalty came about. On top of that, we had floor damage because of the kerb ride, which I guess most people have but his was extensive.

“It was two and a half tenths in parts that broke off on the kerb. So no reason to be angry or upset about it.”

Hamilton himself was somewhat puzzled by the exact cause of the damage but suspected an incident during the race's early stages. The British driver commented:

“I’m not really quite sure. I think I got, in Turn 1 a bit of damage and then the floor is just falling apart. I don’t know when I got the damage from that. I haven’t yet seen the video, so I don’t have much more to say.”

Despite the personal challenges, the day wasn't entirely gloomy for the Mercedes team, thanks to George Russell securing a race victory — the team's first since the 2022 race in Brazil. Hamilton acknowledged the uplifting impact of his teammate's success. He continued:

“I mean, from my side it’s not that different. But George as you can see he’s doing pretty well. So, that’s a huge boost for us. A big victory for George and the team. This is an amazing result.”