Where previously the situation was often reversed, Lewis Hamilton was now given team orders himself during the Miami race. Mercedes asked if Hamilton could pass his teammate George Russell, who was on a different strategy. Hamilton initially seemed to ignore this team order, but eventually let his younger teammate pass.
The seven-time world champion had a disappointing qualifying session in Miami. The Briton was eliminated as early as the second part of qualifying and finished 13th. In the race, Hamilton tried something different by starting on hard tyres, while many other drivers, including Russell, started on mediums.
Hamilton gets team orders
About halfway through the race, the two Mercedes drivers met on the track. Russell was driving behind Hamilton on much newer hard tyres and was thus faster than the seven-time world champion.
Peter Bonnington joined Hamilton on board radio right away and said, "Okay Lewis we have George at 1.1 behind, so we aren’t racing him, we are racing Ocon. Let’s not hold each other up." Hamilton was not very impressed by the team order and replied, "He can go by but I’m not backing of though." Eventually, 'Bono' asked his driver again, then Russell did get passed by Hamilton.
'Am a team player'
So after asking twice, Hamilton finally lets his teammate pass. Speaking to Motorsport-Total.com, the Briton indicated that this was natural for him. "Of course I let him pass. Of course I am a team player and I want the team to get the maximum number of points," said the 38-year-old driver.
Anyone who understands f1 and watched the race....this is a non story...nothing there clickbait....yet.....it will become a 100 comment suggest.....
Let's hear what Rosberg thinks of that "team player" comment.
Bloody Toto, you are asking seven times champion against nobody to move aside. Are you gone nuts ?
Russell was faster anyway so it was either let him pass and save face or have the pass forced on you and look like a buffoon.
Russell was faster because he had fresher tyres than Hamilton .
My calculator say both cars did the same amount of laps(57) in the race.
Maybe, but your calculator didn't count the fact that Russel starts from the third row and had another strategy than Hamilton! Maybe if you would have been used the '' human processor '' you would have had a better explication ! Sometimes artificial intelligence can be beaten by a human brain .And the subject is over !
So did Verstappen vs Perez.
Max apart from 1st 4 laps actually gained time on Perez despite traffic and slower hard tire.
OMG…. Lewis this is James!! Must have been a nightmare coming true… that stuff used to be for BOT, not for the 6 time world champion!
Lewis russell faster than you are let him past lol lewis knows he no2 driver know with it
"Of course I let him pass. Of course I am a team player and I want the team to get the maximum number of points"
He didn't do so against ROS in Hungary.
Looks like HAM is starting to grow up, which is a good thing. I guess at least until the next episode where he sees the possibility of gaining an advantage for himself. Then I doubt that he will still be the team player he pretends to be today.
Time will tell, at least if MB manages to build a new rocket ship until then.
indeed he is growing up, at 37 managed to hit an apex properly!
Cheap shots from small minds and even smaller winkies ??
Sure he is the ultimate team player when he is always telling his team where they screwed up and hurt him
Wasn't the wunderkind-lion king-maximus the kvyat babysitter b1tching for years about "we need more power" doing the same? Oh wait, it's because it's only a problem when LH44 does it. Wake up, the tea is getting cold.
Did Lewis ever have to drive with a Renault power unit?
Wake up and smell the coffee, educate yourself, forget the tea you can not see the forrest for the trees
The point is about the drivers all b1tching about something at some stage. They all do it, even your mighty lion tamer and baby daddy. Your point is still mute, but sure I'll have some coffee ☕️ thanks ?
well, to be honest,in don't think it's fair that Lewis had to do a movie with Brad in the middle of a race. I guess that's why we only saw him when he had to let George (Brad) pass...
Well done Lewis, must have been difficult for you to except that. And yes I am a Mad Max fan.
Where are all the loud ones now, who are against the RB team provisions. Has the rhetoric changed?
Now that's great work from MB. Is that right?
The problem is that at Mercedes in this situation no.2 driver has received this favour not the no.1 driver ! And this race was an exception !
It was different tyre strategies mate, so I get it. But don't make a meal of it mate.
I'm very happy that we cleared up this thing ! i understand that you re surprised as long as at RBR there is a general rule and the no.2 driver can fight for a win just only when the no 1.driver screw up the qualifying or has tehnical problems ! As you can see I didn't use the standard phrase used by you or other Max;'s fans: '' Max was faster than Perez''.You should appreciate the fact that I am trying to be original !
I cleary mentioned that this won't happened now ! Don't make me explain you twice like I do with others .
Will do. Could take a while though, but for sure will happen at some point. But not now, not now my friend. Hard times ahead.
Until then, keep entertaining us with conspiracy theories please
I will save my entertainment for the times when your favorite you'll be in a car that barely can reach top three and then I will remember you like the title song of Elvis Presley the favorite Max's fans comments: '' Max always wins in the slowest car'' . And I will have others similar comments in my head . Until then let's stay healthy .
I do appreciate that! You guys are my daily entertainment! So for sure I appreciate that. :-)
And yet week in week out...some clever f1 insiders keep going on about how lewis is about to go to Ferrari...delusional stuff
Hilarious is the second name of Ferrari Team ! Again Leclerc finished the race behind Hamilton ! But at least the other favorite - Max has won the race and you had a pleasant sleep !
Please be quiet, when wonder baby Max wouldn't let Perez get past last season, where were you loud mouth?
Diverting the topic and posing a counter-question with a dose of disparagement. So transparent.
I didn't even expect an answer, but if you found yourself called to answer, you could have tried to write something more original, this is already corny.
That's actually kak funny mate! It's just hard luck though, qualifying was a mess for everyone which put him om the wrong strategy for the Mercedes...anyway +1 from me
How come the "no 2" has more points?? They were on different strategies. Why battle? Your hate is blinding you to simple facts. Like the number of times Hamilton has simply driven away and left Russell in the dust. Just doesn't have Hamilton's race pace. Verstappen in an absolutely dominant car gained 8 places. Hamilton in a middling car still managed to gain 7 places. Haven't seen Russell put in a drive like that to date.
Lewis ... this is Bono. Similar to Bottas hearing "Valteri, this is James" for so many years .....
Its called Karma. What goes around, comes around. The cycle of Life.
Now George is clearly the faster driver in Mercedes and if it werent for the blown engine, George would be ahead (AGAIN) in the championship. He will catch him soon.
Faster driver how? Between the two who's leading on points. Laughable comment.
Obviously fooling yourself but it's ok I understand. Lewis was guinea pig for a lot of tests last year which you've conveniently forgotten, hence why George was up on points. But you also forgot later that same when most of the testing was done, Lewis was beating George in almost every race. Laughable indeed, you even said it in your comment without realizing, but the truth will always speak for itself.
Lewis is faster? That's laughable.
Very few agree with you. Lewis beat George convincingly last year and out-qualified Lewis thoroughly so far in 2023. Without a blown engine, it would be George in the lead in points too. Who are you trying to fool?
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