Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell created a stir with their intense on-track battle during the Japanese Grand Prix.
However, Team Principal Toto Wolff swiftly moved to downplay the incident, characterizing it as a momentary eruption of emotions that will be calmly addressed during the post-race debrief.
Throughout their partnership, Hamilton and Russell have largely maintained a harmonious working relationship since Russell joined Mercedes at the start of 2022. However, the high-pressure atmosphere of the Suzuka race led to a brief yet intense confrontation between the two drivers, at times risking contact and a potential loss of points.
Wolff acknowledged the incident but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to handle and resolve such conflicts. He stated, “Anything that requires clarification or discussion afterward can be addressed away from the pressure cooker environment, in a composed and calm debrief.”
Early in the race, Russell attempted to overtake Hamilton at the final chicane, but Hamilton successfully defended his position. Later, Hamilton made a rare mistake, allowing Russell to close in, but Hamilton defended forcefully by pushing both cars outside the track’s limits, leading Russell to question their rivalry.
As the race progressed, Russell’s one-stop strategy faced challenges, and he suggested a plan to hold back Carlos Sainz using DRS, agreeing to let Hamilton pass later.
After a series of instructions, Russell was finally told to switch positions with Hamilton. Mercedes then instructed Hamilton to slow down to keep Russell within DRS range, but this strategy didn’t unfold as planned, and Hamilton narrowly retained his position ahead of Sainz at the finish line.
Both drivers have since acknowledged that the on-track tensions were a result of competitive intensity and circumstantial frustrations. Hamilton explained, “When they suggested it to me, I knew they were considering it because of the previous race, but it didn’t make sense.
I was about two seconds ahead, and they then asked me to give George DRS. So I had to ease off the gas on the straight to create an 0.8-second gap, then he had DRS but was still overtaken. That had to happen because he was on a one-stop strategy while we were on a two-stop.”
