During the course of the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, the veteran British Mercedes driver experienced all kinds of moments, but unfortunately for him, his race was like a roller coaster that ended with a more bitter taste in his mouth than expected.
Lewis Hamilton started from sixth on the starting grid, but suffered more than expected in the first few meters and lost several positions, although a few laps later he managed to recover and return to a more natural position considering the performance of the W13.
Arriving at the last stages of the race, the Mercedes driver was fighting to be the first of the rest against a Valtteri Bottas who at that moment had in his possession the fifth position at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo.
It was at this point that a safety car changed the dynamics of the event, benefiting and harming different drivers depending on their position on the grid. At Mercedes, Russell , trailing Hamilton , was called into the pits to fit a new set of mids, while the seven-time world champion was left on track with already worn hards.
A few laps later and with the race restarted, the #63 caught up with the #44 and won the position, something that particularly annoyed the veteran, who did not hesitate to open the radio to question the team’s strategy.
After the race, Toto Wolff explained the situation and the reason why Russell was called into the pits while Hamilton , who had better track position, was left out.
“I think it was between a rock and a hard place. The safety car clearly went out in a situation that was not favorable for him and favorable for George. George had a window, no one behind him, he was able to switch to a medium [tyre] practically new”.
The director of Mercedes also questioned his driver, who after the grand prix said the following: “At the moment when they give you the responsibility of making a decision, it seems that you are betting and I do not like that. So I told them that made the decision, but they were unlucky.
Instead, Wolff assured that the decision was made solely by Hamilton : “Lewis had to decide, do I hold position with a hard or do I ride a soft, which would also have been compromised? It was probably a 50%-50% decision and It didn’t work out in the end. It’s not the first time this season that he’s been unlucky with the safety car.”
Following the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton rises to sixth in the drivers’ standings with a total of 36 points, one more than Lando Norris, while Russell increases his lead over his teammate in fourth place thanks to his 59 units.
