Picture Credit: Formula 1
Mercedes had the worst time in the recently concluded Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had another lackluster weekend as he finished eighth, while his teammate George Russell continued his better form and finished fifth. Amidst a series of below-par performances in recent months, Lewis Hamilton has once again got the backing of Mercedes owner Toto Wolff.
Russell has continued his streak of finishing in the top five in every race in 2022 and lies fourth in the driver's championship with 84-points. In contrast, Hamilton has finished the sixth position with just 50 points. But Wolff believes that despite the massive gap between two drivers, both are 'very much on the same pace.'
Wolf reportedly said that Hamilton lacks a bit of luck in his professional space, and he thinks that the pendulum will soon swing in his favour. "I think when you closely look at Lewis's bad spells. See, what happened today, stuck again, contact with Esteban Ocon, stuck behind Fernando Alonso," said Wolff.
Wolff further informed that Lewis could have closed on Lando Norris' pit stop window or even fought with George Russell in the front due to his sheer pace. "They are close in terms of pace, one practice the one leads, then the other, and that is great how they work together to get our car straight because we need to get that car straight," said Wolff.
Mercedes went into the Monaco GP with tremendous optimism after better performance in Barcelona but struggled to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari. Commenting on that, Mercedes's boss made it clear that they were not as quick as the rivals, and it's simply 'unacceptable.'
"We have two powerful drivers, but it's a huge annoyance and something to discuss for all of us that the gap is about the same. If you are looking at it optimistically, it's five-tenths; if you are looking at it pessimistically, it's more like eight-tenths. And it's not acceptable to any of us," he added.
