In the handbook of the good second team principal Toto Wolff you cannot miss the observation of the chapter linked to the defense of each member of the team even in the most difficult moment of a season. The number one of the Mercedes wall underlined this during an interview granted to the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine in which he recalled an episode that took place during the hectic weekend in Baku in 2017.
In Azerbaijan on that occasion Sebastian Vettel in the Safety Car regime gave a spin to Lewis Hamilton, guilty in the eyes of the then Ferrari driver of having tested him a ‘brake-test’, or a sudden braking to take him by surprise, under Safety Car. The German driver was penalized for that conduct, with Hamilton therefore appearing to be destined for a very important victory in a difficult phase for Mercedes at that time of the season. Part of Lewis Hamilton’s cockpit, though, began to vibrate conspicuously forcing the English driver to stop in the pits to make the repair, a ‘pit’ that made dreams of glory fade (he finished in eighth place) to the delight of Daniel Ricciardo, winner at the wheel of Red Bull ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, on his first career podium in F1 with Williams .
“During the interviews I was pressured by the media as to whose mistake it was that led to the extra stop for Hamilton – Wolff’s words – ‘how is it possible to lose a victory for such an inconvenience? Who is responsible? ‘ were the questions I was asked. In those moments I immediately feel the protective instinct that is in me. In Mercedes we are like a tribe and everyone is protected, even the weakest or those who suddenly end up under accusation “. Wolff admits that that is the only one ‘uncovered nerve‘which risks leading him to outbursts or inappropriate behavior: “It is the only aspect that can make me really uncomfortable, whoever brings this kind of attacks to my eyes crosses a limit that must not be crossed. Ever since I was a kid, protecting others has always been a priority for me ”.
#Wolff #defense #Mercedes #tribe #FormulaPassionit