Hamilton wanted to give up after the first lap: the Mercedes team had to encourage him

Created: 05/24/2022, 05:37

By: Marius Epp

Lewis Hamilton is having a difficult Formula 1 season.

In Barcelona he lost his motivation after just one lap.

But then he started to catch up.

Barcelona – A few curves had been driven on the Circuit de Catalunya, and Lewis Hamilton was frustrated again (read the race in the ticker).

Having started the race from sixth place, he collided with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen on the first lap and was thrown back to second to last place.

Experts quickly found the culprit in Magnussen.

Accordingly, Hamilton reacted soberly in the pit radio.

"If I were you, I would go easy on the engine," he suggested to his team.

But his race engineer Peter "Bono" Bonnington wanted nothing to do with it.

Formula 1: Mercedes motivates Hamilton to continue after the crash

"Keep driving, Lewis.

We think you can get eighth or better.

You can get into the points,” he animated his protégé.

The Mercedes team would not tolerate a capitulation - and rightly so, as it turned out.

Hamilton took new courage and overtook one car after the other.

After the first round in Barcelona, ​​Lewis Hamilton would have liked to take off his balaclava again.

© Manu Fernandez/dpa

Little by little he fought his way forward and got everything out of his Mercedes.

In the meantime he even conceded the Ferrari from Carlos Sainz and made it to fourth place.

However, due to a water leak in the engine, he had to ease off the gas significantly in the final laps and let the Spaniard pass again.

Formula 1: Hamilton shows a furious race to catch up in Barcelona

In the end there was a conciliatory fifth place and at least ten championship points.

"Thanks for the great work.

Let's build on that," the seven-time world champion struck a different note at the end.

“You were the fastest car.

Great work,” praised Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

He was happy with the race, teammate George Russell secured third place for the German team.

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After a disappointing start to the season in Formula 1, Mercedes seems to be on the up again.

The significantly improved pace was already evident in practice and qualifying, and the annoying "bouncing" of the car was apparently fixed.

One fact should also spur Hamilton on: Youngster Russell has so far shown him the limits, the 24-year-old already has 28 World Cup points more on his account.

A legend like “Sir” Lewis Hamilton cannot and will not let that sit on his back.