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Lewis Hamilton Pulls No Punches to Accuse Toto Wolff & Co. of Fluffing Their Lines as Max Verstappen’s Success Adds Salt to His Wounds

Published 03/21/2023, 6:15 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Mercedes discovered the need for improvement on the Sakhir track. They made a comeback and performed much better than the Prancing Horse at the Saudi GP. However, this illusion can’t turn around the reality that Mercedes is still way behind Red Bull. And after observing Red Bull’s genuine pace at the Jeddah track, Lewis Hamilton appears to have dropped the shoulder. In a recent interview, he delivered an honest evaluation of the fluffy Mercedes, which just hinted at an upcoming dismal season for the Silver Arrows.

The Austrian team yet again finished in first and second place, and Sergio Perez demonstrated why he has been referred to as the “king of the streets” this time. In addition, Max Verstappen, who started P-15 due to a driver’s shaft issue in Q2, made a tremendous recovery and finished the race in P2 with the fastest lap, demonstrating the “genuine pace” the Milton Keynes team had been successful in generating.

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In contrast, Lewis Hamilton finished at P5, trailing behind teammate George Russell. The seven-time champion’s current predicament prompted him to make an honest disclosure and accuse Toto Wolff and Co. As quoted by CNN.com, the Briton said,I have definitely never seen a car so fast. When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest.”

He added, “I don’t know how, but he [Verstappen] came past me with some serious speed and I didn’t even bother to block him because there was a massive speed difference. Everyone wants to see a close battle, but it is the way it is. It is not my problem, it is not my fault.”

With their star driver making some bold claims, the Silver Arrows’ woes just keep getting worse. Due to Red Bull’s dominance, there is a risk that the sport will turn off supporters. In the midst of this, Mercedes’ boss expresses his opinion.

Toto Wolff is still optimistic in the wake of claims by Lewis Hamilton on Red Bull supremacy

Red Bull’s domination has been unrivaled. In fact, they have won 12 of the last 13 races. On the other hand, Mercedes, who has been a purely dominant force during the hybrid era, is witnessing an era that is favoring Red Bull.

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Citing that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1, “We have had those years where we were as strong, but it is a meritocracy. We shouldn’t talk it down because I remember hearing voices like that between 2014 and 2020. What makes the sport so special is that you need to work hard to win, and you deserve it. And that is matter of fact.”

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via Reuters

Later, the Austrian also said that they need to keep working hard in order to get the desired results. Wolff added, “We all hope for good entertainment and it is our duty to catch up and fight these guys. We will do everything in our power to fight back and we will look at areas of weakness that they may have.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: From Mercedes’ Eye-Popping Sidepod Design to Ferrari’s Pace: Best Moments from F1 Testing at Bahrain 1st Day

In light of the aforementioned, can we infer from the team’s development in Saudi that they will continue to challenge the top two? Or after experiencing Red Bull supremacy, the Silver Arrows will throw in their towel?

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Written by:

Aditya Srivastava

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Aditya Srivastava is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Although he has completed his undergrad in History, due to his passion for the field, he couldn't hold himself back from entering the world of Sports Journalism. Being a huge fan of Formula 1, Aditya has taken up multiple internships and freelancing gigs where he got to pen down his thoughts about the most prestigious form of motor racing in the world.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare