Mercedes denied any responsibility for Lewis Hamilton’s decision to let George Russell pass.
Images via IMAGO show Lewis Hamilton (L) and George Russell (R), with another image capturing George Russell overtaking Lewis Hamilton in the race.
The 2024 season has been disappointing for Mercedes so far. The Silver Arrows had a lackluster weekend at [race name]. During the race, Hamilton made the decision to let Russell pass, potentially allowing his teammate to score some much-needed points for the Brackley-based team.
Hamilton played the team game at [race name] and asked if he could let Russell pass. The team made this decision in the best interest of scoring points after the 39-year-old driver’s recommendation. However, some fans expressed dissatisfaction with this decision and criticized the Mercedes team for allowing it.
Mercedes quickly responded on [social media platform], placing the blame on Lewis Hamilton. The fan who expressed their discontent with the team’s decisions was informed by the Brackley social media manager that Hamilton had requested the maneuver. The seven-time world champion had the final say on the overtake, absolving the German manufacturer of any responsibility.
Mercedes opted for a different strategy compared to other teams on the grid. Brackley started the race on hard tires after the red flag. However, this strategy did not work out for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Hamilton was overtaken by several drivers before making a stop for the medium compounds.
Amidst this, Hamilton’s race engineer, Bono, stated that the 39-year-old driver was the fastest on track right after the pit stop. However, Lewis Hamilton remained in ninth place, with no opportunity to overtake those ahead. The seven-time world champion struggled to catch up to Russell after the overtake, with the 26-year-old driver finishing in seventh place.
Mercedes will likely move forward after the Japanese GP and work to solve their issues. The Silver Arrows need to recover from their poor start to the season. Consequently, the team plans to introduce several upgrades to the W15 in order to compete at the front. It remains to be seen if the Brackley-based team will be able to turn the situation around this year.
