Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Circuit of the Americas, 2018

Hamilton wasn’t happy after winning drivers’ title – Wolff

2018 F1 season

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Lewis Hamilton wasn’t happy after winning his fifth drivers’ title in Mexico because Mercedes hadn’t clinched the constructors’ championship, team principal Toto Wolff has revealed.

Wolff said Hamilton’s reaction after the team won the title in Brazil was “very emotional because this constructors’ championship meant so much to him.

“When I had a conversation with him on the Sunday night after Mexico we both didn’t feel happy. Here is a driver that just won his fifth drivers’ championship and was not satisfied because our objective – and this is without wanting to sound not humble – was to win both championships for the team.

“That’s why he was emotional and [trying to] understand the race situation. He wanted to finish this on a high and win the constructors’ championship in Brazil.”

Hamilton admitted he didn’t feel completely satisfied winning the drivers’ title before the teams’ championship was decided.

“I didn’t really feel the celebration [in Mexico] because I knew that we still had another championship to win and I really needed to remain focused for the team,” he said. “I really came here focused on making sure that I could deliver for them.”

Mercedes faced the strongest threat from their rivals this year since the V6 hybrid turbo era began. But Hamilton said the team’s satisfaction at taking a fifth title in a row shows they are stronger than ever.

“Naturally the will to want to win is so high for everyone and the stakes are high. Ultimately, you could make mistakes and all these different things but we didn’t or I didn’t on the track, for example.

“To come in and see my guys who I’ve come along this great journey with and we’ve had a lot of success but we’ve still remained fierce and competitive. I think our relationship is better than it’s ever been so just that bond, it was just a great moment, plus it was a really hard race.”

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2018 F1 season

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37 comments on “Hamilton wasn’t happy after winning drivers’ title – Wolff”

  1. Bull-bajs.
    A corporate one?

    1. Nah, he just knew he was winning the championship since Germany, so he was just as happy as at the previous race. Which was “I’ve won already, now I’m driving for the WCC.”

  2. Have they won the drivers’ and constructors’ in the same race yet? Maybe last year or 2015?

    1. @hugh11 No, they haven’t. Last year the WCC got clinched at COTA with the WDC getting clinched on the same venue as this year while in 2014 and ’15 the WCC got clinched in Sochi on both occasions with the WDC being decided at YMC (Abu Dhabi) and COTA respectively while in 2016: WCC: Suzuka WDC: Abu Dhabi.

  3. Owhhhh LH….im so so sympathy for u…so sympathy….dont be so cheap would ya.

  4. “There’s a Wing Man, half a lap behind the Stars. He’d like to try and beat us but he has to toe the line.
    There’s a Wing Man, in the slower car.
    He’s been told not to blow it, Cause it’s nearly contract time.
    He told told me.
    Let George Russell lose it.
    Don’t let Ocon use it.
    Let old Valtteri boogie.”

  5. Groan.

    Or, should I say #Groan?

    1. Please don’t.

  6. Think i would appreciate the performances of Mercedes and Hamilton more if they weren’t so obnoxious in the press..

    1. Obnoxious? How is walking the public through the journey of their staggering achievement obnoxious? They won! Get over it!

    2. Obnoxious? Don’t you see the irony in your comment?

    3. Yes– How dare they answer journalist’s questions.

      The utter nerve!

  7. Some articles are not worth the paper it takes to light up the power plant to create the energy light up my screen.
    (not blaming the messenger though)

    1. You read it and took the time to comment yet it’s a good waste of energy. Jolly good.

    2. Power plants are powered by paper?

    3. My posts are always made with recycled electrons.

  8. I like the delicious irony that has played out in writing that headline, and choosing that image to go atop it. Sly one by Keith (assuming it was intentional)!

    1. ? Lewis’ celebrations were very subdued and you know it.

      1. Hamilton should feel lucky to have such a energetic defender in his army

        1. I think #blessed is the word you are looking for

          1. #blessed 😝😃😃

  9. Oh give over mercedes, if they believed him they’re mugs

  10. I think the cynical reading is wrong in this case. If you compare Hamilton’s responses after Mexico and Brazil, they were very different. Also helped that he won in Brazil, while Mexico was a fairly underwhelming performance for Mercedes. But even so, there probably was a real element of team work at play. Why not? This year’s wins in both championships have been down to a combination of Hamilton’s talent and consistency (compared to Vettel) and Mercedes’s dedication and diligence (compared to Ferrari) making the difference. And Hamilton’s declaration that he wouldn’t relax until the constructors was won matches his efforts in Brazil – contrasting with those seasons where he drifted off after the real competition was over.

    1. @david-br: I concur. However, misplaced cynicism is never wrong, just misplaced.

      1. @jimmi-cynic That’s a very cynical attitude, though I tend to agree :P

  11. I’m impressed by Hamilton, and how he worked synergically with Mercedes (they have been awful to Bottas though).

    Hamilton was already a great driver, but with Mercedes he become an amazing one, and developed a very charismatic personality. Credit where it’s due, kudos to him.

    1. developed a very charismatic personality

      @nugolo – IIRC, during his stint at McLaren, Ron Dennis greatly controlled/restricted the sort of things their drivers got up to, so as to maintain a squeaky clean corporate image for McLaren. When Hamilton switched to Mercedes, they imposed no such restrictions, and allowed him to pursue his interests off track, which is what gave us the colourful personality we see today.

      So, on that point as well, it is pretty neat that Mercedes gave him a free hand, fully well knowing that he can be divisive and controversial, but opting to view that as a positive by letting him be seen as a human, instead of McLaren’s sanitized PR-bot.

  12. This love in is getting to be a bit much. Are you giys recycling the same interview?

    1. So is the hatred, it does not matter what Mercedes or Hamilton do or say the hate brigade are so blinded by their hatred that they will not or can not admit that both team and driver did a better job than the opposition.
      IMO real race fans would just say well done and move on, and hope that next season the teams/drivers they support do better.

  13. Oh please Toto. Just give Lewis a sainthood already.

  14. @keithcollantine this site would le be a lot less frustrating to read if it didn’t serve ads that force redirected the browser to a scam site.

    1. I paid the annual subscription …. it stops that problem.

      1. The site keeps looking you out, forcing u to see advert even after paying annual subscription

        1. I have had no such problem as long as I log in.

      2. Well then why don’t they remove all ads and lock the site to anyone that doesn’t pay? 🤔

  15. Meant to say .. the site keeps logging you out….

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