Toto Wolff was not at Qatar to witness the crash between his Mercedes driver (Photo: Getty)
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is sure that Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will not be colliding on track again following their ‘frustrating’ crash in Qatar.
The two Brits came together at the first corner of the first lap of the last race as Hamilton attempted an ambition overtake around the outside of his teammate.
The crash saw the seven-time champion retire immediately while Russell dropped to the back of the pack before recovering well to finish fourth, though he believed the incident cost him a podium and potentially the win.
Both drivers vented their fury on the team radio immediately afterwards, blaming each other, but Hamilton, upon seeing the replay, accepted ‘full responsibility’ and apologised to Russell and the team.
The pair shared a hug after the race, and Wolff says he is proud of his drivers’ reaction to what could have been a very trying incident.
‘The last round in Qatar was a case of what might have been,’ the Austrian, who has been absent from the last two grand prix as he recovered from knee surgery, said in his official preview of this weekend’s US Grand Prix.
‘As a team, you never want to see your cars collide. It was frustrating to leave a lot of points on the table, particularly as the pace of the car was strong.
‘It was encouraging though to see how the drivers and the team reacted. Both Lewis and George know the team comes first and do not ever intend to jeopardise that.
‘I am sure we will all grow from this moment. We’re now focused on Austin and making sure we get the most out of each upcoming weekend.’
Though Max Verstappen and Red Bull have already wrapped up both championships, Mercedes still have to fight to hold on to second in the standings, with the gap to Ferrari just 28 points with five rounds to go.
George Russell accepted Hamilton’s apology for the crash post-race (Photo: Getty)
Hamilton is also attempting to snatch P2 in the drivers’ championship off Sergio Perez, with just 30 points separating the two.
‘We have a busy couple of weeks coming up as the season reaches its conclusion, starting with a triple-header in the USA, Mexico and Brazil,’ Wolff added.
‘It’s always great to race at the Circuit of the Americas. There’s a fantastic atmosphere and the city welcomes F1 with open arms. COTA is one of the most challenging modern tracks and a real thrill for the drivers.
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‘We’ll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year. It will hopefully bring a small gain but more importantly, is another milestone in setting our development path for W15.
‘The battle for second in the Constructors’ has become more intense in recent races. We will keep our heads down, keep pushing and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage.’
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‘The last round in Qatar was a case of what might have been.’
