Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make the most of the opportunity offered by Max Verstappen’s grid penalty at this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after having a new power unit fitted to his car, which meant he exceeded the maximum number of parts he is allowed to use.Hamilton, who lies five points behind Verstappen at the top of the championship table, said the development “doesn’t really change anything for us” but admitted it gave him a valuable opportunity.
“We’ve just got to do our thing and focus,” he said. “It’s a tough year, I think, for everyone with reliability. That’s definitely a shame for him.
“But we’ve got to try and capitalise on that, get a maximum result. A one-two would be spectacular for us as a team.”
Mercedes headed both of Friday’s practice sessions at Sochi Autodrom. Hamilton, who trailed team mate Valtteri Bottas in both sessions, revealed the pair were running different set-ups on their car.
He said he was encouraged by their day’s work. “It seems like we started off on the right foot,” he said. “We’re always trying to progress.
“The first run in the first session was the best. We’ve been migrating and adjusting since and it’s not been as good as that one as you start to push more and more, I guess.
“But generally a good session pace-wise. We’ve got some work [to do] probably on the long run.”
The forecast of heavy rain tomorrow could complicate the final set-up decision, Hamilton added.
“Tomorrow it’s going to be raining a lot, we heard. It’s going to be a big wet day tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see what we do in terms of set-up for that, knowing that potentially Sunday is dry.”
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2021 Russian Grand Prix
- Sochi disappointment will make Norris and McLaren stronger, says Seidl
- F1 race start times could be brought forward to avoid Spa-style wash-outs
- New technology in Ferrari’s power unit update vital for 2022 – Binotto
- Mercedes have left too many points on the table, admits Wolff
- We made too many mistakes and didn’t deserve points – Gasly
Jelle van der Meer (@)
24th September 2021, 15:20
How much more luck does Hamilton need to win 2021 Championship.
* Saved twice from retirement or lap down due to red flags
* 2 podiums scores by Max gone due to sheer bad luck
Now he starts on front row and Max from the back row where depending how the race unfolds and if and when there are safety cars Max is to finish 3rd at best, but 5th is more likely. Which means Hamilton will leave Russia leading the championship by 10 points with either 5-7 races to go.
If Hamilton is not leaving Russia as championship leader by a healthy margin than Mercedes really wasted the opportunity like they did in Monza.
Swifty
24th September 2021, 15:41
You’re expending so much energy on reiterating the past. Most have moved on.
Monza was wasted because VER refused to back out of a corner he’d lost, nothing to do with HAM (on the day).
Balue (@balue)
24th September 2021, 17:11
Why are you going on about what happened in the past?
amian
24th September 2021, 17:15
Check mate by Balue!! Thank you :)
Swifty, I hope you learned your lesson and will just let people discuss stuff they want to discuss.
DeanR
24th September 2021, 18:29
Aye! I’ll give you that one Balue. But play nice, we are all friends here. 😉
F1oSaurus (@)
24th September 2021, 17:19
@jelle-van-der-meer Choosing to do race on too low running tyre pressures is a risk Red Bull takes themselves though. As is taking an aggressive line defending through a fast corner or chicane.
Verstappen has had more luck than Hamilton this season. For starters, Verstappen has the fastest car by quite a margin, because the low rake cars have been hurt a lot more by the aero regulation changes. So how’s that for luck? Then Hamilton having an issue with poor button placement losing an otherwise easy win in Baku? Bad luck with the weather call in Hungary (would have been another easy win). etc etc
Mashiat (@mashiat)
24th September 2021, 18:24
@f1osaurus If you’re calling having a good car “lucky”, then Hamilton is the luckiest driver in F1 history. Baku was Hamilton’s fault, he himself admits it, everyone in the team admits it was driver error, but clearly you know better than them all. I don’t recall Bottas hitting brake magic and locking up into T1. Hungary was on both team and driver. All drivers except Hamilton made the call to go to slicks. Go listen to the team radios.
Kingshark (@kingshark)
24th September 2021, 18:27
@mashiat
The big mistake you’ve made here is trying to reason with the biggest troll on this website. He’s not particularly interest in the truth, he’s more interested in trying to seek as much attention as possible from Verstappen fans :-)
DeanR (@deanr)
24th September 2021, 18:40
True enough… Baku and Hungary were Lewis errors. Lewis definitely made the call on the radio to stay out in Mogyorod! VER has been the better driver so far, yet he finds himself only 5 points ahead in the standings. At what point does luck, or bad luck, start being disregarded? The fact remains there is only 5 points in it. The driver that wins the WDC will deserve it.
Kingshark (@kingshark)
24th September 2021, 19:40
@deanr
I would take this sentence more seriously if Hamilton fans did not moan endlessly during and after 2016. They even accused Mercedes of sabotage.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
24th September 2021, 22:16
@kingshark
Good one.
May the best win.. Or atleast Hamilton, or what is their motto?
DeanR (@deanr)
25th September 2021, 10:20
Which Hamilton fans say Rosberg didn’t deserve the 2016 WDC? Certainly not this one! Rosberg may not have been the better driver that year but he won it on merit over the course of the year. Points tables never lie!
F1oSaurus (@)
25th September 2021, 10:21
@deanr
He didn’t make that call. The team did. Baku was a button placement error.
DeanR (@deanr)
25th September 2021, 10:28
Happy to be corrected but I distinctly recall Lewis making the final call to stay out. The team probably didn’t give him enough information but I do recall Lewis choosing to stay out and the radio conversation being played. My memory isnt infallible mind you.
F1oSaurus (@)
25th September 2021, 10:55
@deanr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh1DY8YLMMA
DeanR (@deanr)
25th September 2021, 11:06
Thanks for that F1oSaurus! I stand well and truly corrected! It was indeed Mercs call and Lewis even questioned it.
I wasnt aware you could get full race radio replays for one driver like that. Thanks for the link 👍
F1oSaurus (@)
25th September 2021, 10:20
@mashiat Well Verstappen didn’t actually help develop the fastest car like Hamilton did. Verstappen has been going nowhere with his car development. He’s lucky that the disadvantageous aero rules for low rake cars have added a second per lap for Mercedes. So Verstappen just lucked into it yes.
Nofanboysplease (@)
24th September 2021, 18:27
Well…. Lets start by asking on what basis the RB is quicker by quite a margin? Than luck has nothing to do with high or low rake. After that we will start about the new michelin tires that work much better on the MB. But first…. Explain me the ‘quite margin’
Mayrton
24th September 2021, 19:01
Tainted season. Statistic won’t show, everyone will forget so it won’t matter. But in this moment, we know.
DeanR (@deanr)
25th September 2021, 10:30
That’s right. It WONT matter. Only the winner will matter.
jff
24th September 2021, 15:34
Probably too simplistic, but I’d take a new PU as well.
This seems to be the ideal weekend as knowing that you do not need to qualify well allows you to set up the car for a dry race instead of a wet quali.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
24th September 2021, 15:51
Logically that doesn’t make sense to me. When your main rival is starting from the back then you know you have a very good chance of winning the race and bagging 25 points. If you have to take a penalty, doesn’t it make more sense to take that penalty on a weekend when your rivals are strong and you are more likely to score maybe 15 or 18 points instead of 25? There is bound to be at least one more race this season where practice shows that Redbull have the advantage over Mercedes, and presuming it happens on a track where overtaking isn’t too difficult, that would seem like a better opportunity for Mercedes to take any penalties.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
24th September 2021, 19:28
I agree with your comment, so I don’t understand why you said it doesn’t make sense. Verstappen is specifically taking this penalty on the most favouring track for mercedes of the rest of the calendar.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
24th September 2021, 22:18
@esploratore1
I may have misinterpreted jff’s comment. I thought that since this is an article about Hamilton, they were suggesting that Hamilton should also take the engine change this weekend – as has been discussed elsewhere. But I agree that it makes sense for Verstappen to take the penalty here.
Jere (@jerejj)
24th September 2021, 15:36
Using this opportunity to maximize points for Hamilton is crucial.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
24th September 2021, 15:49
Red Bull must have Perez qualify well tomorrow or Hamilton will only need to beat both McLarens to win.
Jere (@jerejj)
24th September 2021, 15:57
@greenflag He won’t need to beat either Mclaren as Monza was merely an isolated case raw pace-wise.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
24th September 2021, 23:10
@jerejj Saying that, McLaren didn’t have to “qualify” ahead of Hamilton on Friday to beat him on Saturday or Sunday. If Norris qualifies 3rd on grid, there is more than a good chance he’ll get ahead of one or more Mercedes.
Jere (@jerejj)
25th September 2021, 8:59
@mashiat They only beat him because of his unideal Sprint start.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
25th September 2021, 11:59
@jerejj That’s precisely my point. If Lando qualifies 3rd and gets a good start at this track, he can lead into T1 as we’ve seen 3rd is a great starting position. He doesn’t have to outqualify Mercedes to get ahead.
Jere (@jerejj)
25th September 2021, 12:06
@mashiat Mercedes drivers can block whoever starts P3 if they get a front-row lockout. We shall find out.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
25th September 2021, 12:45
@jerejj That depends. They managed to make it work in 2018, but Ferrari couldn’t in 2017 since Bottas just got a better start than both. And Mercedes starts haven’t been great this season.
Francesco (@schivo69)
24th September 2021, 16:33
This is a Message to Valtteri Toto and the fans. Get ready to give way…
ian dearing
24th September 2021, 19:57
Yes I think most fans need to be told that Mercedes have no intention of taking a points advantage away from their lead driver to hand an advantage to the opposition. Although I do wonder whether they will go so far as to throw away WCC points as RB did at Silverstone to protect Max.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
24th September 2021, 23:08
The decision to go for fastest lap there didn’t give away any WCC points relative to Mercedes. They took one point away from Mercedes by stealing fastest lap, and gave up one point themselves for what would have been 10th place. So they gave up one point in the WCC (and one point of Perez in WDC) to all their other rivals, but it was neutral to Mercedes in terms of WCC, and one point net gain of Max against Lewis in the WDC.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
24th September 2021, 16:55
He’ll win the race from a Mercedes 1-2. Verstappen will only manage 7th. The gap between them will not be recoverable and Sochi will be remembered as the turning point where Mercedes won the championships.
Balue (@balue)
24th September 2021, 17:12
No that was Silverstone and Hungary
F1oSaurus (@)
24th September 2021, 17:23
@balue Yeah those were bad too. Verstappen should have played it a bit more save in Silverstone. Or not messed up in the corners before he felt the need to aggressively defend a lost position. And he should have had pole in Hungary. A track that perfectly suits the Red Bull car.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
24th September 2021, 17:26
You’re a bit weird.
erikje
24th September 2021, 18:30
We know that.. He does not :)
Always be careful when people are handicapped.
DeanR (@deanr)
24th September 2021, 18:43
Ha! POT – KETTLE – BLACK!
DeanR (@deanr)
24th September 2021, 18:45
Sorry, your comment was a bit daft but I reported it in error. Was trying to report Erikje… for obvious reasons.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
24th September 2021, 19:29
No way, merc was by far faster in quali in hungary, it wasn’t even possible to get 2nd place, let alone pole.
F1oSaurus (@)
25th September 2021, 10:23
@esploratore1 True, but that was because Verstappen is A) bad at qualifying and B) he messed up the setup for a track where they should have been fastest by a country mile.
Mayrton
24th September 2021, 19:05
Both of you are right. Hamilton will get away with probably his worst season. Judging Perez vs Bottas, Lewis should have binned it before the summer break given the material he has and reputation. Yet he couldnt get past Max until lady luck stepped in to aid and benefit him hugely.
Moi
24th September 2021, 17:45
I agree that seems the most likely scenario. But the turning point was Silverstone, where HAM not only knocked VER into a DNF but also caused enough damage to necessitate an engine penalty. A most effective ‘tactical foul’ to use Toto’s term.
Mayrton
24th September 2021, 19:06
That’s what I thought too. But Hungary really signed, sealed and delivered it for Toto’s team.
Cynic (@callmeacynic)
24th September 2021, 17:34
I just have a really strong feeling that Hamilton’s going to drop it in the wall tomorrow during qualifying (if it takes place). The pressure’s all on him this weekend to maximise points scoring and I can’t help but feel that he’s not coping with that as well as he used to.
Mercedes haven’t had a clean weekend for ages and there have been very few occasions where they’ve fully taken advantage of Verstappen’s / Red Bull’s mishaps so I’d be quite surprised if they did manage to walk away with a 1-2.
Unless of course the grid is set based on FP2…
Balue (@balue)
25th September 2021, 6:33
@callmeacynic True Hamilton has made a lot of mistakes this year from the pressure of a close fight, but Bottas has promised he’ll give up his win again here if it comes to that, and with Verstappen at the back, all Hamilton has to do is beat Perez, and the McLarens / Ferraris and that should be a walk in the park.
DonSmee (@david-beau)
24th September 2021, 18:04
The Mclarens and Charle’s Ferrari will make things difficult for Max. I can Max relying on tyre strategy to get past them quickly, but these guys will be racing that much harder to overturn Perez for that podium spot.
erikje
24th September 2021, 18:32
This is not reliability but destruction by team Mercedes..
But the bright side is Mercedes is really suffering in the reliability department. So hammie will need a engine before the last race.
Matthew
24th September 2021, 18:59
I think Lewis already needs a new engine,because ever since bottas got a new one ,he’s improved..I think Lewis current engine is lacking just a little bit,and that could be the difference.
DeanR (@deanr)
25th September 2021, 10:34
OR… is Lewis’ engine being run below its capability to ensure he gets to the end of the season? Probably not but you dont know that any better than I do.
Mayrton
24th September 2021, 19:09
Can they let Max drive with Perez helmet for quali so Perez can start 3rd on Sunday? Maybe he could then be rather late at braking into turn 1? Doing a little Bottas?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
24th September 2021, 19:32
Good idea, fight fire with fire.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
24th September 2021, 21:35
So you think RB should cheat?
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
24th September 2021, 19:33
I wonder if Valtteri has it in him to do a Rubens in Austria 2002 and brake at the last possible moment to let Lewis through. Although given that we are more than halfway through the season it isn’t really a fair comparison.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
24th September 2021, 21:45
This will be Hamilton’s 100th GP win. It would be good to have Verstappen on the podium to witness it. Let’s hope Max has a great race through the field then.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
24th September 2021, 23:14
@greenflag If everything goes smoothly then yes it is likely Hamilton’s 100th win. And there’s also a reasonable chance that Bottas will need to be asked to move aside to let him do it. That would sour the celebrations somewhat you’d think.
Dave
25th September 2021, 16:44
Well, in order to let Verstappen witness it, Silverstone and Monza should be considered a racing incident by almost everyone.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
24th September 2021, 22:22
I love it when front runners start from the back… We get to see somr super Max.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
24th September 2021, 23:57
If he can get through the first 3 laps unscathed, perhaps.
Fred Fedurch
24th September 2021, 23:35
Loois punted his front jack man in a pit stop magic button oopsie this morning. If Valtteri got a 3 spot grid penalty for spinning in the pits without hitting anyone, that should be at least a 5 spot penalty.
Unless Emperor Palpa…… er, Toto emailed Michael and blamed the mistake on the jack man being 2cm forward of where he should have been standing.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
25th September 2021, 0:00
Did Hamilton make you cry again? Need a box of Kleenex?
Andy Bunting (@wildbiker)
25th September 2021, 9:23
+1 ROFLMBO!