Toto Wolff insists his public rebuke of Lewis Hamilton at the Austrian Grand Prix will have no impact on the British driver’s Mercedes future.
As Max Verstappen racked up his seventh victory from nine rounds with a crushing performance at Red Bull’s home race in Spielberg to extend his championship lead to 81 points, Hamilton crossed the line a disappointing seventh.
Hamilton was the first of six drivers to be penalised by race director Niels Wittich for exceeding track limits.
He then spent the remainder of the race asking why some of his rivals – namely Sergio Perez – had not been sanctioned, and also lambasted the speed of his under-performing Mercedes machine.
Wolff rarely speaks to his drivers over the radio, but was on the intercom twice to Hamilton during Sunday’s race.
“Lewis, the car is bad, we know,” said Wolff on his second appearance over the airwaves. “Just please drive it.”
The dressing down might have stung Hamilton. Asked what provoked Wolff to deliver the remark, Hamilton’s answer was short, and not-so-sweet.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You will have to ask him.”
Hamilton has six months remaining on his £40million-a-season deal. Might the exchange have a bearing on negotiations?
“No, not at all,” said Wolff. “You should hear us talking on the phone and meeting each other. That was nothing.
“We have had a bad weekend, all of us in the team, and that just makes us stronger.
“It was only for the best interest of the driver and the team. Sometimes there is a certain moment when you need to calm things down but I meant well.
“We had a lot of discussion about track limits and whether they were enforced or not.
“I wanted to make sure we were getting the best out of the package that wasn’t performing, and trying to give it our best shot.”
It has been a difficult weekend for Mercedes in Austria. Hamilton was 10th in the Sprint on Saturday, while team-mate George Russell finished eighth in both the shortened race and the main event.
Hamilton’s losing streak now extends to 32 races and Wolff – despite suggesting on June 12 that his superstar driver’s next contract would be signed in “days rather than weeks” – confirmed that there will be no news of an extension at Silverstone this weekend.
“I am still very confident it will get done,” added Wolff. “We want to do it super, and to every detail.
“This is not a money discussion. It is about the future, what is it that we want to do right, and then optimise.
“We are not talking anymore about money, or duration, it is about other topics.”
Asked how long Hamilton’s next deal will be, Wolff replied: “For a while. The Brits say a couple means two, and the Americans say a couple means a few, so it is somewhere there. Several.”
The day began strongly for Hamilton. He started fifth and leapfrogged Lando Norris at the opening corner. But he soon faced the wrath of race control for putting all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line on three separate occasions.
He was penalised with a black-and-white warning flag on lap 12, and then hit with a five-second penalty five laps later.
Hamilton took his punishment at his second pit stop on lap 43, dropping him to eighth place.
He moved up one spot when Pierre Gasly stopped for tyres but failed to make any impression on Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, crossing the line half-a-minute back.
“The feeling with the car was the same as I had last year,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t expect to be as bad as we were today. It is surprising.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, while Perez raced from 15th to third, passing Carlos Sainz with 10 laps to go.
Norris ended the day in fifth to record his best result of a difficult season for his under-performing McLaren team.
Norris 'surprised' by pole and expects tough Monza test
Lando Norris admitted his pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was "a surprise" after McLaren secured a second qualifying one-two of the season at Monza.
Norris, who is aiming to become the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2010 to win consecutive races, looks good to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who finished in seventh.
The Briton was just 0.109 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Mercedes' George Russell 0.113s off the pace in third after an incredibly tight Saturday session.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth for Ferrari at the team's home event, with Hamilton in sixth.
Sergio Perez enjoyed a better qualifying session this time around and will start the race in eighth, while Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.
Norris pipped Piastri by just 0.035s on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, before improving his time on his second attempt despite not being happy with his lap.
"To have a first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one," Norris said.
"My lap, it hurts me to say it, was not a great lap. My first one was. But still good enough for pole and still very happy.
"There are a lot of quick drivers behind in quick cars, so I am not expecting an easy race. Plenty of question marks but a lot of excitement, I'm sure."
Verstappen, however, struggled with balance in the final qualifying session, having been expected to battle the two McLarens after a strong showing in Q2.
The three-time champion described the car as "shocking" at one point, and will have to come from midfield to claim a first win since the Spanish Grand Prix.
Should the Dutchman fail to win at Monza, it will be the first time since the 2020 season he has gone six races without a victory. He had a run of 11 winless races in a row that year from Spain to Sakhir.
"Q3 was very bad on both of my tyre sets. I just picked up a lot of understeer so I couldn't attack any corners any more," Verstappen said.
"I had to back it out a lot mid-corner and you lose a lot of lap time like that.
"Somehow in Q2 it wasn’t that bad. I did a 1:19.6 at that point and we were almost the quickest. We know our limitations and problems but at that point I think we had it fairly under control.
"But I went into Q3 and the balance was completely out, and I don't really understand how that happened."
Qualifying results
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Max Versappen (Red Bull)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Antonelli confirmed as Hamilton replacement at Mercedes
Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.
The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.
He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.
Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing.
“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.
“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.
"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.
"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.
“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.
“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.
“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.
"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."
Antonelli confirmed as Hamilton replacement at Mercedes despite Monza crash
Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.
The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.
He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.
Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing.
“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.
“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.
"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.
"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.
“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.
“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.
“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.
"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."
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