Russell surpassed Hamilton at the end of the race, which may have prompted an unusual comment from Hamilton after the race, in which he described it as “one of the most disappointing” he has ever experienced.
Lewis Hamilton took responsibility for a mediocre performance in Canada, leading to speculation that it could be a tactic to destabilize his teammate George Russell.
Hamilton finished fourth in the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, just behind Russell, who started in the front position.
Russell’s late overtaking of Hamilton may have prompted an unusual comment from Hamilton after the race, in which he described it as “one of the most disappointing” races he has participated in.
During the F1 Nation podcast, host Tom Clarkson mentioned, “Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by the knowledge that he would have the front wing on his car, which he had not used in Monaco. He was motivated, performing well in practice. However, things unraveled during qualifying. He admitted after the race that his performance was below expectations.”
Natalie Pinkham responded, “He actually stated that it was one of his worst races in a long time. It’s interesting to see him publicly taking responsibility and blaming himself. Was the race really that bad?”
Clarkson speculated, “No. But could it be because George overtook him? And he wanted to send the message that George only overtakes him when he’s having a terrible race… That’s how I interpreted it.”
Pinkham disagreed: “You’re delving too deep into psychology. No matter what he says, people will distort it. They will say ‘at one moment he blames the updates, then he blames the team…’ No, he is admitting his own faults. He is a good person, acknowledging that he wasn’t up to par today. I found it remarkable to hear that. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, but he was still willing to take responsibility in that moment.”
Clarkson acknowledged: “He has nothing to prove. However, on Saturday after qualifying, he was questioning why his car’s performance drops during qualifying. Two weeks ago, in Monaco, he even said ‘I don’t think I’ll surpass Russell in qualifying this year’.”
Pinkham concluded: “I sympathize with these drivers! They can’t say anything without us dissecting it! Maybe it’s just a casual comment. If your worst race results in a fourth place, then things are improving at Mercedes.”
